Islington Chapel (Congregational): Upper Street Islington
ISLINGTON CHAPEL - The new building, which replaces the old one pulled down for the Upper- street Improvement Scheme, carried out by the Metropolitan Board of Works, stands at the corner of Church- street and Upper-street. The chapel is 50 feet wide by 66 feet long, exclusive of choir gallery, and has accommodation for about 1,000 persons. It is divided into nave and aisles by iron columns, carrying elliptic arches, the gallery front stretching from column to column. The ceilings are of plaster, divided into coffers by wooden ribs, flat over the aisles, and of an elliptic waggon form over the nave, terminating in a semi-dome. The main entrances are at the west or Upper-street end of the building, there being also a side entrance in Church- street. The staircase from this latter, together with one from the side entrance in Upper-street, gives access to the galleries and also to the schoolroom below. At the east end, behind the pulpit, is the organ and choir gallery, and underneath same, separated from the chapel by a passage, is situated the minister's vestry, the deacons' vestry being at the end of this passage with direct communication with the chapel. Underneath the chapel is the schoolroom, 50 feet wide by 56 feet long, and 15 feet high. At the west end is a raised passage-way out ot which are two classrooms, so arranged that when required the glazed framing can be raised and these rooms made part of the schoolroom. At this end of the schoolroom also arc two othei classrooms and the secretary's room By means of swing divisions, which when not drawn out form a dado round the room, classes are separated from each other, and yet can all be seen by the superintendent from his desk on the Inform. Behind the east end of the schoolroom arc the kitchen, infants' classroom, and the cnuicn parlour, all fitted up very completely. Externally the building is faced with red bricks the quoins and window dressings being executed m gauged work of a lighter tint, while Portland stone has been used for entrance doorways and porches, and the roof is covered with Raubon red tiles. All the main windows are of cast iron. All the woodwork throughout is of deal painted dark green, except the gallery front, which is painted white! The style adopted has been Domestic English of the 17th century, a style which so far as the architects know, has never m recent times been employed in chapel budding Several of the classrooms and vestries are decorated by means of plaster casts of bas-reliefs, sunk m the wads with moulded frames; these are taken from works by Michael Angelo, Donatello, Luca della Robbia, Flaxman, &c. The main entrance porches are lined with buff glazed tiles with dark-green painted panelled dado, and are closed by wrought iron gates. The font is a fixture of pavonazetto marble, with oak and forged-iron cover The whole of the work has been designed by and carried out under the superintendence of Messrs. Bonella and Paull (late Paull and Bonella), architects, 6, Quality-court, Chancery-lane, the builders being Messrs. Patman and Fotheringham The whole of the external and internal ironwork (except the columns in the schoolroom) has been supplied by the St Pancras Ironwork Company. Messrs Strode and Co., of 48, Osnaburgh- street, N. W. , supplied all the brass gas-fittings. Messrs. Hart, Son, Peard and Co. supplied the ironmongery. Mr. W. J. Phillips acted as clerk of works. [Building News 20 December 1889 page 855 and illustration]
By H J Paull of Bonella and Paull, his last work. A remarkably handsome red brick front of the Norman Shaw style, the first chapel in this style according to the Building News. it has a large pedimented oriel window high in the gable and cupola above, below it, four small arched windows and two big ones to the basement schoolroom. either side two pilastered porches. to the side street, a row of gables above segment-headed windows. Decoratively patterned glazing bars and delicate cut brickwork. handsome ironwork by the St Pancras Iron Company. Galleried interior divided up as studios and offices. [Pevsner London: North Page 663]
Islington had been a popular refuge of non conformists from the late 17th century. Islington chapel one of the first in a domestic Queen Anne idiom.
Reference Building News 20 December 1889 page 855 and illustration
Reference Pevsner: London: North, Page 663