St Luke's Church, Canning Town facts for kids
St Luke's Church, Canning Town, also known as St Luke's Church, Victoria Docks, is a church that belongs to the Church of England. It was first located on Boyd Road in the Royal Docks area of West Ham, in east London.
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Building a New Church
The idea for St Luke's Church came from Henry Boyd, who was the vicar (a type of priest) at St Mark's Church, Silvertown. St Luke's Church was officially opened in 1875. Its local area, called a parish, was created by splitting off a part of St Mark's parish.
Church Design and Style
The church building was designed in a style called neo-Gothic. This means it looked like medieval Early English churches from a long time ago. Instead of a tall tower, it had a small spire called a flèche on its roof.
Expanding the Church's Reach
Over time, St Luke's Church also took over St Matthew's Church, Custom House, which had previously been a mission of St Mark's. St Luke's also started its own mission church called the Church of the Ascension. This mission operated from 1887 to 1905. From 1887, it was a special mission to lascar seamen (sailors from Asia). By 1890, it had a mission in Ford Park Road.
Wartime Damage and Rebuilding
In 1940, during the London Blitz (a time when London was bombed a lot during World War II), St Luke's Church was badly damaged. Even though the building was hurt, church services continued. They were held first in a garage and then in the church hall.
Repair and Growth
Temporary repairs were made to the church in 1949. Then, a full rebuilding project was finished by 1960. The area around the church was also redeveloped after the war, becoming the Keir Hardie Park. Because of these changes, in 1961, the parish of St Luke's grew bigger. It took in the parish of St Matthew's Church, Custom House and parts of the parishes of Holy Trinity and St Gabriel's.
St Luke's Today
St Luke's Church was officially closed as a church in 1985. In 1993, there was a risk that the building would be torn down. It finally closed its doors in 1997. Today, the original building is no longer a church. Instead, it is used as a community center and a health center, helping people in different ways. The church's parish still exists, and its members now worship in a modern building on Ruscoe Road.
