St Peter's Church was the Anglican pro-cathedral and parish church of Liverpool. It was erected in 1700,[2] consecrated on 29 June 1704, and demolished in 1922. It was located on Church Street.[3] Its location is now marked by a bronze Maltese cross on Church Street.[4]
| St Peter's Church, Liverpool | |
|---|---|
 St Peter's Church in 1922. | |
  St Peter's Church, Liverpool Location within Liverpool. | |
| 53°24′18.4626″N 2°59′3.9103″W / 53.405128500°N 2.984419528°W | |
| Location | Liverpool |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 29 June 1704 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Demolished |
| Architect(s) | John Moffat |
| Construction cost | £3,500 |
| Demolished | 1922 |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 108 ft (33 m)[1] |
| Number of towers | 1 |
History
editThe first oratorio to be performed in Liverpool was Handel's Messiah, which took place in St Peter's Church.
On 1 July 1880, J. C. Ryle was appointed as the first Bishop of Liverpool, at which point St Peter's became the pro-cathedral of Liverpool.
The church was later replaced as the cathedral of Liverpool by the current Liverpool Cathedral.
The church's records are stored in the Liverpool Records Office.[5]
Architecture
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The building was designed by John Moffat and was erected to the south of Church Street. The architecture of the pro-cathedral was criticized for being inconsistent, as each of the doorways to the church featured different designs. The church had a single tower that measured 108 feet (33 meters) in height, with the upper part being octagonal in shape and containing a peal of ten bells.
The church contained an oak altar that was greatly admired.[6] At the eastern end was a stained glass window representing Saint Peter, and at the western end was a large organ.
The environment surrounding the church was criticized for being muddy; Church Street was not paved until 1760 and was the site of a weekly cattle market.
Closure and demolition
edit
By the early 20th century, it was felt that Liverpool deserved a more significant building as its cathedral. Construction on the new Liverpool Cathedral commenced in 1904, and by 1922, St Peter's Church was deemed obsolete. The building was slated for demolition, which also allowed for the widening of Church Street.[7] The last service took place in the church in September 1919 before demolition began,[8] which was completed on 23 October 1922.[9] That same year, construction of a new Woolworths store commenced, designed by William Priddle, and the store opened in August 1923.[8]
Today, the only indications that a church once stood at the site are the name of the street and a brass Maltese cross set in the granite pavement, placed at the precise location of the doors of the former church.[7]
References
editCitations
- ^ "B&W Picture Place: St. Peter's Church, Liverpool". chesterwalls.info. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- ^ Young, Henry S.; Young, Harold E. (1913). Bygone Liverpool. Liverpool: Henry Young And Sons. p. 49.
- ^ Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks. "St Peter's Church, Church St, Liverpool 1704 - 1919". Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks. Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ^ "Church St - Google Maps". Google Maps. June 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ^ "St. Peter's Church, Church Street". Liverpool Records Office. Liverpool Records Office. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ^ The Picture Of Liverpool. Liverpool: Thomas Taylor. 1834. p. 110.
- ^ a b Pye 2017, p. 134.
- ^ a b Collard 2016, p. 86.
- ^ Kitty Martin (2015). SAGUS Vol 3 Oxford to Liverpool 1918 - 1930. Graham M Thomas. p. 43.
Sources
- Collard, Ian (2016). Liverpool in 50 Buildings. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 9781445658964.
- Pye, Ken (2017). A-Z of Liverpool. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 9781445666815.