St Paul's Church, George Street, Nottingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Paul's Church, George Street, Nottingham |
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|---|---|
| 52°57′15″N 1°8′42″W / 52.95417°N 1.14500°W | |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Paul |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | William Wilkins |
| Style | Greek Revival architecture |
| Completed | 1822 |
| Construction cost | £17,000 |
| Closed | 1924 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,600 |
| Length | 104 feet (32 m) |
| Width | 62 feet (19 m) |
| Height | 34 feet (10 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Nottingham |
| Diocese | Diocese of Southwell |
| Province | York |
St. Paul's Church, George Street was a Church of England church in Nottingham. It was built to help the larger St. Mary's Church, Nottingham and was opened in 1822. The church served its community for over 100 years before closing in 1924.
Building St. Paul's Church
The church was officially opened by the Archbishop of York on October 24, 1822. A noble, Charles Pierrepont, 2nd Earl Manvers, supported the church. The architect was William Wilkins. He was the brother of the Vicar of St. Mary's, Revd. George Wilkins. The church cost about £14,000 to build.
St. Paul's was known as a "Commissioners' church." This means it was one of many churches built with money from a special government fund. This fund was set up to build new churches after the Napoleonic Wars. The idea for the church started in 1818, but building didn't begin until 1821.
The church was quite large. It was about 32 meters (104 feet) long and 19 meters (62 feet) wide. It stood about 10 meters (34 feet) high. It could hold over 1,800 people for services. The church had a grand entrance with tall columns, called a Doric portico. There was also a small bell tower above it. Inside, the roof was held up by 14 beautiful Corinthian columns.
When the church's foundation stone was laid, there was a big celebration in Nottingham. Soldiers fired their guns in the Market Place. The Mayor then invited officers to toast the King. After this, Revd. George Wilkins laid the first stone.
Even though it started as a "Chapel of Ease" (a smaller church helping a main one), St. Paul's became its own independent parish in 1838.
Church Leaders
Over the years, several important people led St. Paul's Church:
- 1839: Charles Armstrong
- 1868: James Hill
- 1880: James Farmer
- 1892: Alfred Whymper
- 1896: George Bishop
- 1906: Henry Biddel
- 1918: Ernest Harold Perkins
Church Organ
The church had a special organ built in 1846. It was made by Bevington and Sons of London and cost £310.
Organ Players
These talented musicians played the organ at St. Paul's:
- John M. Wilson (1846 - 1848)
- C.N. Wright (around 1853)
- Mr. Myers (1862 - 1868)
- G. H. Woodhouse (1878 - 1883)
Why the Church Closed
In the early 1900s, many people in Nottingham started moving to new areas outside the city center. Because fewer people lived nearby, St. Paul's Church was no longer needed as much. It closed its doors in 1924.
The money from selling the church building was used to help build a new church. This new church was St. Cyprian's Church, Sneinton.
