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

Tredegar Square

Tredegar Square

E3, Tredegar Square

25-26 Tredegar Square Part of the grand north terrace of the square completed in the 1840's in the Stepney Estate of Sir Charles Morgan, ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Ava Gardner - plaque

Ava Gardner - plaque

SW7, Ennismore Gardens, 34

Gardner lived in the first floor apartment, 1968 until her death here in 1990. The Irish Examiner has some photos of the rather garish in...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Lord William Russell's beheading

Lord William Russell's beheading

WC2, Lincoln's Inn Fields

Lincoln's Inn Fields was the site of the gruesome and prolonged public beheading of Lord William Russell in 1683, after he was convicted ...

1 subject commemorated
Brittain & Holtby

Brittain & Holtby

WC1, Doughty Street, 58

English Heritage Vera Brittain, 1893 - 1970 Winifred Holtby, 1898 - 1935 writers and reformers, lived here.

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Southgate Station - Transport for London award

Southgate Station - Transport for London award

N14, Station Parade

The plaques are at the entrance to the ticket hall.

3 creators