St Bartholomew's Church, East Ham facts for kids
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St Bartholomew's Church is a special building located on Barking Road in East Ham, east London. It's a Church of England church, which means it's part of the main Christian church in England. The church is named after Bartholomew the Apostle, one of Jesus's twelve closest followers.
Building a New Church
St Bartholomew's Church was built in 1902. It was created to take the place of an older church nearby, St John the Baptist's Church, East Ham. The old St John's Church then became a "parish hall," which is a community building often used for church events and meetings.
The new church was designed by two architects, Micklethwaite and Somers Clarke. In 1910, they added a "south aisle" to the church. An aisle is a long, narrow space between rows of seats or on the side of the main part of a church.
Surviving Tough Times
During World War II, in 1941, St Bartholomew's Church was badly damaged by bombs. The inside of the church was completely destroyed, but the outer walls mostly stood. For a while, people worshipped in a small wooden hut built inside the damaged church. This temporary church was even called 'St. Bartholomew-in-the-ruins'.
Sadly, this wooden hut burned down in 1947. Services then moved to the church's "vestry," which is a small room in a church often used for changing robes or storing sacred items. In 1948, services moved again to St John's Institute, another local building.
The church slowly began to be rebuilt. The south aisle, which was added earlier, was fixed in 1949. The rest of the church was finally repaired and restored in 1953, making it whole again.
Part of a Bigger Family
Today, St Bartholomew's Church is part of a group of churches called the East Ham Team Parish. This group is also known as the Parish of the Holy Trinity. It works together with other churches in the area, including St Edmund's, St Mary Magdalene's, and St Alban's. This means they share resources and work together to serve the community.
