Wanstead United Reformed Church facts for kids
The Wanstead United Reformed Church is a special church building in Wanstead, east London. It belongs to the United Reformed Church, which is a Christian church formed by different groups joining together. This church has a very interesting history because it was built twice!
It was first built between 1856 and 1861 in a different part of London called St Pancras. Back then, it was known as St Luke's Church. A famous architect named John Johnson designed it. Just a few years later, in 1866-1867, the church was carefully taken apart. All its pieces were moved and put back together in Wanstead. This move happened because a big new train station, St Pancras Station, needed the land where the church first stood. The building was made a little different when it was rebuilt, but John Johnson still oversaw the work. In 2009, this church was given a special status as a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
The Church That Moved: St Luke's, Euston Road
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St Luke's Church, Euston Road was originally a Church of England church. It was located on Euston Road in the St Pancras area of London. The church was designed by John Johnson. He also helped design another church called St Paul's Church, Camden Square.
Construction of St Luke's Church took place between 1856 and 1861. It was built right on the corner of Midland Road. However, in the 1860s, plans were made to build a huge new train station for the Midland Railway. This station was to be called St Pancras railway station. The new station needed a lot of space, and unfortunately, St Luke's Church was in the way.
Because of the new train station, the church had to be taken down. It was carefully dismantled, piece by piece. Then, in 1866 and 1867, it was rebuilt in Wanstead. John Johnson, the original architect, made some changes to the design when it was put back together. The sale of the church building to Wanstead brought in £526. This money, along with £12,500 in compensation from the railway company, helped build a brand new church. This replacement church, also called St Luke's, was built in Kentish Town.
