Langley Building, 53 Dale Street, Manchester

By the early years of the twentieth century Manchester’s commercial district was extending southwards along Piccadilly, Dale Street and Hilton Street towards the Rochdale Canal basin and MSL railway good warehouse with a number of new warehouses erected in the district prior to the First World War. One such was Langley Building, a five-storey home trade warehouse in Dale Street which originally housed the mail-order business of J.D. Williams and the printing offices of Northern Edition offices of the “Daily News.” It was built on a long narrow site bounded by streets on all sides – Dale Street, China Lane, Back China Lane and Hilton Street.

The principal elevation of three bays was on Dale Street with a subsidiary entrance on Hilton Street. The two long elevations of red brick were much more utilitarian. Advertised as being of “Fireproof construction,” it was of steel frame construction, and concrete floors. Hydraulic goods and passenger lifts

With the introduction of parcel post in 1883, James David Williams, (originally from Derby), had been one of the first to see the potential in serving customers directly by mail order. This proved highly successful from the start and by the mid-1900s he was considering the erection of new purpose-built premises. Work began in late 1907, when tenders were sought for the foundations and supply of steel, By 1 August 1908 the building was approaching completion. J D Williams Ltd moved from their Princess Street offices to their new home between 12 September and 26 September 1908, and J D Williams began to advertise for tenants on four of the floors.

The principal tenant was the Northern Office of the Daily News which took two and a half floors in the new building. As a result of technological changes, it had become possible to print the paper simultaneously in London and Manchester by means of a specialist private telegraph and telephone service linking the two offices. Every night the contents of the paper were set up and printed in Manchester. The printing of the first issue of the Northern Edition of the “Daily News” Newspaper took place on 11 January 1909.

The architect for this his only work in Manchester was Robert Argile, who appears to have obtained the commission as a result of his Baptist connections. Amy Ann Coupe, the wife of James David Williams, was born in Ripley in 1854 and was a fervent Baptist. She was only four yours younger than Robert’s sister, Ellen, and probably knew the Argile family from childhood.

EXCAVATING and building up to ground level, basement and sub-basement on a plot of land bounded by Dale Street, China Lane, Back China Lane and Hilton Street. Names to Mr R Argile, 9 Booth Street, Piccadilly, Manchester. [Builder 4 May 1907 page 550]

WAREHOUSE, DALE STREET AND CHINA LANE, MANCHESTER - CONTRACTS 1 AND 2

Contractor          J Gerrard and Sons Tender £2,732-15-6
Steelwork           E Wood and Company £5,550

Reference           British Architect 25 October 1907 Page x – tenders
Reference           Builder 26 October 1907 – tenders foundations and basement; steel (supply only)

WAREHOUSE, DALE STREET, MANCHESTER For the erection of the superstructure from ground level of a warehouse in Dale Street, Manchester for Mr J D Williams, Mr R Argile, architect, Ripley, near Derby. Quantities by the architect. Contractor: J Gerrard and Sons Limited, Swinton (£13697). [Builder 18 January 1908 page 83 – tenders]

DALE STREET (No 53) Large Home-trade Warehouse. Just completed. Fireproof – To be let, together or separately, the First Floor and the Front half of the Second Floor, containing together 1,300 square yards floor space, bounded by four streets viz, Dale Street, Hilton Street, China Lane and Back China Lane, exceptionally light; hydraulic passenger and goods lifts, and every convenience. JD WILLIAMS 53 Dale Street. [Manchester Guardian 5 December 1908 page 3]