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 | United Kingdom |
| 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. It was first built as a "chapel of ease" for St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. This means it was a smaller church meant to help a larger, busier church. It opened in 1822 and closed in 1924.
Contents
Building St. Paul's Church
The church was officially opened on October 24, 1822. This ceremony was led by Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt, who was the Archbishop of York. The person who supported the church financially was Charles Pierrepont, 2nd Earl Manvers.
The church was designed by an architect named William Wilkins. He was the brother of the Vicar (or priest) of St. Mary's, Revd. George Wilkins. Building the church cost about £14,026 at the time. This was a very large amount of money!
St. Paul's Church was a "Commissioners' church." This means it received money from a special fund set up by the government. This fund helped build new churches after the Napoleonic Wars. Revd. Wilkins asked for this money in 1818, and the building work started in 1821.
Church Design and Size
The church was quite large. It was 104 feet (about 31.7 meters) long, 62 feet (about 18.9 meters) wide, and 34 feet (about 10.4 meters) high. It could hold many people, with space for 1,853 worshippers.
The church had a beautiful front entrance called a Doric portico. This is a fancy porch with tall, strong columns. Above the portico was a small tower for the church bell. Inside, the roof was held up by 14 elegant Corinthian columns. There were also flat, column-like decorations called pilasters at the corners.
When the church was being built, there was a lot of talk about King George IV. He had refused to let his wife, Caroline, be crowned Queen. Even so, the King's Coronation was celebrated in Nottingham. Soldiers fired their guns in the Market Place. The Mayor of Nottingham then invited officers to toast the King. After this, the first stone of St. Paul's Church was laid by Revd. George Wilkins.
Even though it started as a chapel of ease, St. Paul's Church became its own independent parish (a church district) in 1838.
Church Leaders (Incumbents)
Over the years, several priests 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
The Church Organ
The church had a special organ built by Bevington and Sons of London. It was made in 1846 and cost £310.
Organ Players (Organists)
These talented musicians played the organ at St. Paul's Church:
- 1846 - 1848: John M. Wilson
- Around 1853: C.N. Wright
- 1862 - 1868: Mr. Myers
- 1878 - 1883: G. H. Woodhouse
Why the Church Closed
In the early 1900s, many people in Nottingham started moving out of the city center to live in the suburbs. This meant fewer people were attending St. Paul's Church. Because of this, the church was no longer needed and closed in 1924.
The money from selling the church building was given by the Diocese of Southwell to help build a new church. This new church was St. Cyprian's Church, Sneinton.
