Congregational Church House, Deansgate, Manchester

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH HOUSE, MANCHESTER. —The award of Mr. Paul Ogden, FRIBA, the assessor in the competition for the above building, has just been announced. The design placed first was prepared by Messrs Bradshaw and Gass, of Bolton. The design by Messrs. J. Gibbons & Son was placed second, and that by Messrs. J. & J. Swarbrick third. Many designs were submitted, and they were all of a very meritorious character. Arrangements have been made for the designs to be exhibited in the rooms of the Manchester Society of Architects, 16, St. Mary's-parsonage, Manchester, from Tuesday, October 6, to Tuesday, October 13, 1908. [Builder 10 October 1908 page 380]

MANCHESTER CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH HOUSE - The site is in Deansgate, between Quay Street and St. John’s Street, and has a frontage of 85 feet and a depth of 90 feet. The project was started by the late Mrs Rylands, who purchased the site and gave it with the sum of £10,000 to the Congregational body, and she left a further £10,000 towards the cost of the building. The adopted plan, by Messrs Bradshaw & Gass, provides for a hall on the ground floor to accommodate 200 people, and committee rooms and offices. On the first floor will be a large hall with seating accommodation for about 800 persons, a board room and a writing room. There will be social, reading and writing rooms on the second floor and, above this, more offices and committee rooms. In the front of the building some shops will be built and the rent of these will be devoted to defraying the administration and other expenses. [Manchester Guardian 9 October 1908 page 5]

The foundation stone has been laid of a new Church House for the Congregational churches of the district in Deansgate Manchester. In the basement of the new building there will be a mission hall and on the first floor an assembly hall which will accommodate about 800 people and a small hall with accommodation for 200. A boardroom for the use of the Congregational Board and committees will also be provided. The architects are Messrs Bradshaw and Gass, te contractor being Messrs Robert Neill and Sons. [Builder 1 January 1910 page 19].