Darwen Duckworth Street United Methodist Free Church chapel (ii)
Duckworth Street, Darwen, England, United Kingdom
This chapel, illustrated at the point of opening, was designed in 1889 by Samuel Hurst (1849-1890) and George Edward Bolshaw (1863-1938) of Southport.
The chapel, which replaced a previous chapel on the same site, is described as having an ampitheatre plan, and could seat 650. The schoolroom was in the basement. The accommodation was 663 by 1940.
The original chapel had been erected in 1839 and enlarged in 1861. The UMFC must have been doing well in Darwen for another upgrade in accommodation so soon after the last. The foundations were laid on 11th May 1887, and the chapel opened on 23rd August, 1888.
The illustration does not give details of the actual preachers at the opening. Can anyone tell us who they were?
The building was demolished in the 1960s.
Grid Ref: SD691224
Reference:
Statistical returns … as at July 1st 1940. Manchester: Methodist Church, Department of Chapel Affairs, 1947
The Building News and Engineering Journal Vol.57, 1889 p108 and p125
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A press report described the proposed building:
“The chapel (which is planned in the amphitheatre form) will be seated for 650 persons on one floor, and in addition there will be an organ and choir gallery for 40 persons. The schoolroom will be underneath the chapel, The entire cost will be about £4,000 and the works will be carried out from the plans and under the supervision Messrs S Hurst and G E Bolshaw, architects, of Southport.”
Building News 7.5.1886 p. 766
OS 25 inch Lancashire LXX.16, 1911
OS Town Plan of Darwen LXX.16.3 1891
Duckworth Street UMFC chapel (ii) was built in 1889 on the site of an earlier chapel. A report of its completion stated that:
“The basement floor consists of a commodious schoolroom, 64ft. by 56ft., with infants’ room and classrooms arranged at either end. Over this is the chapel, on the amphitheatre plan, to seat over 650 persons, cloakrooms have been arranged to the entrance of the chapel, and very good vestry accommodation, with organ gallery, at the rear. The work has been carried out by Mr J Westall, builder, of Darwen, at a cost of a little under £4.400, from the plans and under the supervision of Messrs Hurst and Balshaw, architects of Southport.”
Building News 26.7.1889 p. 108
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