Plaque

Wash-house foundation stone

Erection date: 1892

Inscription

Westminster Public Baths and Wash-houses
The united parishes of St Margaret and St John the Evangelist adopted the Act of 1846 on the 8th Jany. 1847 and purchased this freehold site and erected the former building thereon. These baths and wash-houses were rebuilt AD 1892 upon an enlarged site.
Commissioners
Z. A. Berry
G. F. Danielli
James Gibson
H. O. Hamborg
W. L. Josephs
C. C. Piper
G. W. Tallents
F. J. Smith FRIBA - Architect
Stimpson & Co - Builders
J. C. F. Warrington Rogers - Clerk

This stone was laid by C. C. Piper

Seems likely that the F. J. Smith is the same architect as the one who built Caxton Hall with William Lee.

Andrew Behan has researched some of these names and points out that in the same year that these baths were rebuilt Commissioner Danielli was initiated into Commissioner Berry's Masonic Lodge, which had been co-founded by Commissioner Gibson, a few years previously.

Site: Wash-house foundation stone (1 memorial)

SW1, Great Smith Street, Westminster Archives Centre

The foundation stone is immediately to the right of the entrance.

The second floor bay window has some lovely relief work by Henry Poole showing swimmers - naked classical Greek young men. Ornamental Passions has good photos of these. Bas relief is not the ideal medium for showing bodies underwater.

In the 1990s the baths were replaced with the Westminster Archives Centre, a community centre and meeting space called the Abbey Centre. Historic England has an 1893 photograph.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Wash-house foundation stone

Subjects commemorated i

William Lee and F. J. Smith

Architects active in 1882.

Read More

Stimpson & Co

Builders of the 1892 Westminster Public Baths and Wash-houses.  

Read More

Z. A. Berry

A Commissioner for the 1892 Westminster Public Baths and Wash-houses.  Geni h...

Read More

G. F. Danielli

A Commissioner for the 1892 Westminster Public Baths and Wash-houses. Andrew...

Read More

James Gibson

A Commissioner for the 1892 Westminster Public Baths and Wash-houses. Andrew...

Read More

Show all 10

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Wash-house foundation stone

Created by i

Charles Christmas Piper

A Commissioner for the 1892 Westminster Public Baths and Wash-houses.  1889 c...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Spiritualist Temple - Beard

Spiritualist Temple - Beard

NW1, Rochester Square, Rochester Square Spiritualist Temple

The wooden cross atop the building supports a neon cross, wired to an electrical box so rusty that we doubt it still lights the way for N...

4 subjects commemorated
Soho Club and Home for Working Girls

Soho Club and Home for Working Girls

W1, Greek Street, 60

This stone is above the door at the 1st floor. The Soho Club and Home for Working Girls was founded here by Maude Stanley. Clearly she...

1 subject commemorated
4 - McCulloch

4 - McCulloch

N7, Caledonian Road, 426

These 6 plaques are on the east elevation of the building, below the ground floor windows. We have numbered the plaques left to right. F...

1 subject commemorated
St Mary Moorfields

St Mary Moorfields

EC2, Blomfield Street

Site of St Mary Moorfields, Pro Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church 1852 - 1870. Corporation of London

1 subject commemorated
Cannonball and Priory Church

Cannonball and Priory Church

EC1, St John's Square, St John's Cloister Garden

The last line on the board suggests that this used to be on display at the front of the building. Perhaps the large empty space was used ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

J. Ball
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
J. Slack
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
A. Cropp

A. Cropp

Surbiton man killed serving in WW1.

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
R. House
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
F. J. Day

F. J. Day

Surbiton man killed serving in WW2.

Person

War dead, WW2
1 memorial