Name

Halstead Best

Designation
architect
Born
1890
Place of Birth
Rochdale
Location
Blackpool
Died
1966

  • Born: 18 June 1890
  • Died: 5 May 1966 at Blackpool
  • Married: 1913 Annie Doyle

Halstead Best was born on 18 June 1890 at Rochdale, the son of John Best and Mary Whitehead. Nothing is yet known of his education and training, no record having been found for him in the 1911 census. During the First World War he served in the Royal Engineers, rising to the rank of Major and from 1919 to 1921 was the Chief Lecturer, Architecture and Building, at the Ministry of Pensions Training Centre.

He commenced Independent practice in Blackpool in 1921 with a commission for the Motor Coach Station, Marshall Street, (later Princess Street), Blackpool, and went on to become one of the most prolific of the local architects in the inter-war period. In addition, he was appointed professional valuer for Blackpool Corporation in the late 1920s. Such was his reputation that he became valuer for over 40 authorities in Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire.  He was the founder President of Blackpool and Fylde Architectural Society and a founder member of South Shore Lodge of Masons in 1942

In 1913 Halstead Best married Annie Doyle at Dublin and they had two daughters.

Halstead Best died on 5 May 1966 at the Victoria Hospital, Blackpool, at the age of 75, his estate being valued at £77,970.

Address
1921: Halstead Best FISE 1 South King Street, Blackpool
1922-1924: Halstead Best 87a Church Street Blackpool Telephone 597 (BT)
1925-1928: Halstead Best FRIBA FSI  8 Clifton Street, Blackpool (BT)
1926-1965: Leeds Chambers, 20 Clifton Street, Blackpool (Who’s Who in Architecture 1926)
1970: Halstead Best Burnside and Goodwright. 20 Clifton Street, Blackpool (BT)
1978-1982: Halstead Best, Burnside & Partners 304 Talbot Road, Blackpool.FY1 3QS

Residence
1919: Norwood House 37 Warbeck Road Blackpool (Army WW1 Medal Rolls)
1924: 46 Reid’s Avenue, Blackpool
1929: 134 Read’s Avenue Blackpool
1930-1946: 23 Park Drive Blackpool (BT)
1947-1965: 23 North Park Drive Blackpool (BT)

References
Who's Who in Architecture 1926

 

Buildings and Designs

Building Name District Town/City County Country
Motor Coach Station Marshall Street Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Princess Theatre Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Extensive alterations. Hippodrome Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Norbreck Garden City Estate Norbreck (Blackpool) Norbreck  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Elementary Schools at Marston Blackpool Marston  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Re-building Premises Clifton Street Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Regent Arcade and Shops. Promenade Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Proposed Super Cinema/Theatre. Whitegate Drive Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
First Church of Christ Scientist Whitegate Drive Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Picture Theatre, Assembly Hall & Ten Shops, South Shore South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Alterations to St John's Church Schools (Blackpool?)   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
New Ford Motor Depot Showrooms and Repair Shop Marston Blackpool Marton  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Empire Cinema Hawes Side Lane Marton Blackpool Marton  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Auction Mart and Shops. South Shore Blackpool South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
16 Houses Lyndhurst Avenue and 20 garages Dorset Street, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Proposed Hotel (later Hotel Excel) near Nateby Garstang Nateby  Garstang  Lancashire  England
Improvements: Trocadero Hotel Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Motor Showrooms, Offices and Garage, Preston New Road, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Warehouse Talbot Road and Gorton Street Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Alterations:. Royal Pavilion Theatre, Digby Road, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Re-building 31 Church Street Blackpool for UCP   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Cinema Theatre,’ Abingdon Street, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Mineral Water Factory, Abattoir Road, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Church of the Holy Cross and Sunday School South Shore Blackpool South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Alexandra Road Congregational Church. Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Public Baths. Kingston-on-Thames (Architectural Competition)   Kingston-on-Thames  Greater London  England
Palace Theatre Barnoldswick   Baroldswick  Lancashire  England
Primitive Methodist Church Chapel Street Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Hotel South Shore Blackpool South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Printing Works for J A Fielding. Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Shops and Café, Promenade and Station Road, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Works, Selborne Road and Coleridge Road, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Shopping Arcade with Flats over, Promenade/Withnell Road, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Whitegate Working Men’s Club Waterloo Road/Lytham Road Blackpool South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Terrace of Boarding Houses. Queens Drive Bispham Bispham  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Highfield Hotel Highfield Road Marton Blackpool Marton  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Ten Houses and Garages. South Promenade Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Layout Plans: Marton Estate Blackpool Marton  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Layout Plans: Anchorsholme Lane Bispham Bispham  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Proposed Buildings Preston New Road/Newhouse Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
48 Boarding Houses. South Shore Blackpool South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
West View Estate Bispham Blackpool Bispham  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Factory Coleridge Road andDevonshire Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Shops House Garages Offices etc. Preston New Road/Newhouse Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Blackpool Evening Gazette Offices Victoria Street and Temple Street   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Offices and Milk Condensery Milnthorpe   Milnthorpe  Lancashire  England
Methodist Church. Waterloo Road South Shore Blackpool South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
“Lion Hotel” Café and Roof Garden Britannia Place Promenade Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
“Royal Hotel” Marton Drive Blackpool for C. Westwell   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Shop Premises. Newhouse Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Proposed Cinema and Theatre: Waterloo Road South Shore Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Rebuilding “Royal Oak Buildings” Lytham Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Hotel, Squires Gate, Blackpool Squires Gate  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Lifeboat Station, Central Promenade, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
New Wing ,Cliffs Residential Hotel., North Shore Promenade, Blackpool North Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Marine Hotel Laidley's Walk and Manor Road Fleetwood   Fleetwood  Lancashire  England
New Factory Chiswick Grove Preston New Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Co-operative Branch Store. Oxford Square Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Imperial Hotel Promenade and Dickson Road North Shore Blackpool Noth Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Four Houses and Shops Two Garages. Preston New Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Additions to Premises,. Stanley Road, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Proposed Cinema Waterloo Road and Whitegate Drive Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Works. Collingwood Avenue and Caunce Street Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Hotel, Central Drive, Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Gas Works: Marton Blackpool Marton  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Pleasure Beach Blackpool South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Dominion Cinema. Red Bank Road Blackpool Bispham  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
New Offices. Blackpool Transport Department Rigby Road   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Alterations and Additions. Metropole Hotel Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
“Duke of Cambridge Hotel” Dickson Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Proposed New Cinema Queens Drive North Shore Blackpool North Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Residential Hotel. Bank Street and Promenade Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Reconstruction: Squirrel Hotel, Bispham Road, Bispham Bispham  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Roy House Banklands.Bispham Road and Low Moor Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Rebuilding “Fleece Hotel” Market Street Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Oxford Cinema Marton Marton  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
"New Road Inn” 244 Talbot Road   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Rebuilding “White Hart” Inn. Church Street Burnley   Burnley  Lancashire  England
Extension to Milk Canning Factory. Milnthorpe   Milnthorpe  Lancashire  England
Extension “Embassy Hotel” Promenade-Bank Street Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
New Hotel. South Shore Blackpool South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Extension to Milk Canning Factory. Milnthorpe   Milnthorpe  Lancashire  England
Omnibus Garage and Station. Bloomfield Road Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
High Compley Caravan Park, Garstang Road West, Poulton-le-Fylde   Poulton-le-Fylde  Lancashire  England
Residential Development. Starr Gate South Shore Blackpool South Shore  Blackpool  Lancashire  England