Building Name

St Paul’s Church, Argyle Street, Birkenhead

Date
1864
Street
Argyle Street
District/Town
Birkenhead
County/Country
Merseyside, England
Architect
Work
New build
Status
Demolished

St Paul’s Birkenhead, known as the Working Men’s Church is a rather strikingly and boldly decorated church designed by Mr Walter Scott of Liverpool: it has 850 sittings, all on the ground floor being free”. A bazaar to raise funds for the church was held in Birkenhead Park in June 1861. The land for the church was given by Thomas Brassey. One Mrs Walter Scott of Clifton Park held a stall to raise funds.  [Liverpool Daily Post.]

ST. PAUL’S WORKING-MEN‘S CHURCH, BIRKENHEAD. This church was opened on the 10th ult. by the Bishop of Chester, and contains on the ground floor upwards of 600 sittings, which are wholly free. The situation is well chosen, being at the corner of Argyle-street, the principal fashionable business street, and Market Street, the street in which most of the working men do their shopping, and in which many of them reside. The church is constructed of brick, with window and other dressings of stone. The roof is an open-timbered one. There are no doors to the pews. In an elevated basement there are two lofty, well-lighted schoolrooms. well adapted for prayer meetings and similar uses. The site and endowment were the gift of Mr Thomas Brassey. The cost of the church has been defrayed by private individuals, and by the proceeds of a bazaar held in the park, which raised. more than £1,100. Mr. Walter Scott, of Birkenhead and Liverpool, who designed the new hospital at Birkenhead, is the architect. [Illustrated London News 30 January 1864 page 103]

St. Paul’s parish was formed by bishop’s instrument January 14, 1864, as a particular district, out of St. Mary’s parish: the church, in Argyle street, erected in 1863, is a plain structure of brick from designs by Mr. Walter Scott, architect, and consists of nave, aisles and a tower at the north-west angle, with a wooden bell-cote containing one bell: the carved oak lectern was presented at Easter, 1889: there are 1,350 sittings. The register dates from the year 1864. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £230, with residence, in the gift of trustees. [Kelly’s Directory of Cheshire 1896]

Reference    Liverpool Daily Post 1861
Reference    The British Almanac and Companion, 1865, vol 38, p150
Reference    Illustrated London News Vol XLIV 30 January 1864 page 103-104 with illustration
Reference    Kelly’s Directory of Cheshire 1896
Reference    Information from Beryl Patten