St Thomas' Church, Preston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Thomas Centre
St Thomas' Church, Preston, from the northwest
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OS grid reference	SD 537 302
Location	Lancaster Road, Preston, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Pentecostal
Website	www.citychurchpreston.com
History
Former name(s)	St Thomas' Church, Preston
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	27 September 1979
Architect(s)	John Latham
Architectural type	Church
Style	Romanesque Revival
Groundbreaking	1837
Completed	1839
Construction cost	£4,500

St Thomas' Church is a special building located on Lancaster Road in Preston, England. It used to be a church for the Anglican faith. Today, it is used by City Church Preston, which is part of the Assemblies of God. This church is so important that it is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it is protected for its history and unique design.

The Church's Story

Building the Church

The church was designed by an architect named John Latham. It was built between 1837 and 1839. The building cost about £4,500, which was a lot of money back then! When it was first finished, the church could hold around 1,100 people.

Changes Over Time

St Thomas' Church was no longer used as an Anglican church starting in November 1983. By May 1987, it was being used for community events. Since February 2001, other Christian groups have used it for worship. From 2014, it was known as the Preston Elim Pentecostal Church.

City Church Preston Today

In 2018, City Church Preston bought the building. It is now called St Thomas Centre. City Church Preston has many members from Southern Asia. They hold two services: one in English and an evening service in Tamil. The Assemblies of God has recognized City Church Preston for being a member for over 100 years. The money raised from donations helps fund ministries in Central Africa, East Europe, the USA, and the Philippines.

Looking at the Architecture

Building Materials and Style

St Thomas' Church is built from sandstone with slate roofs. It is mostly in the Romanesque Revival style, which looks like Norman buildings. All the doorways and windows have rounded tops.

Parts of the Church

The church has a long main area called a nave with six sections. It also has a clerestory, which is a row of windows high up. On the sides are north and south aisles. At the front is a chancel with a five-sided apse, which is a rounded end. There are also small rooms called vestries on either side of the chancel.

The Tower and Spire

Above the chancel is a three-part tower. It has a window on each side of the middle part. The top part has two-light bell openings, where the bells would be. On top of the tower is a broach spire, which is a tall, pointed roof.

Windows and Doors

At the front of the church, there is a large window in a Norman-style frame. Above this is a three-light window, and in the pointed top part, called the gable, there is a wheel window. City Church Preston has raised money to help restore this wheel window. There are also doorways on each side of the church. The other sections along the sides of the aisles and the clerestory have windows. There is also a window on each side of the apse.

Inside the Church

Inside, the arcades (rows of arches) are supported by round piers. The inside of the church has been changed by adding an upper floor. To help protect the church from anti-social behavior, the church team worked with Scott Hartley, an Architectural Assistant. With his help, they received permission to build a fence around the church. Most of the original windows are gone, but one window above where the old altar was shows Jesus Christ and is from 1907.

Why the Church is Special

Listed Building Status

St Thomas' Church was officially named a Grade II listed building on September 27, 1979. Grade II is the lowest of the three levels of protection for buildings. It is given to buildings that are important to the country and have special features.

Architectural Comments

Experts like Hartwell and Pevsner have written about the church. They said it is "indeed an odd creature" because it mixes different styles. For example, even though it is mostly Norman in style, the broach spire is not a typical Norman feature. Also, the location of the tower and the shape of the apse are not common for Norman buildings. A writer named A. Hewitson described the church in 1869 as a "small, strong, hard-looking building."

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia de Santo Tomás (Preston) para niños

• Listed buildings in Preston, Lancashire