Newton Congregational Sunday School

NEWTON CONGREATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL. RE-OPENING SERVICES - This school, which has been undergoing restoration for the past six months, has now been reopened, and in connection with tie event special services were held in the Chapel on Sunday. ….. The work has been excellently done, and reflects great credit upon the contractor, Mr. J. B. Wright, of Leigh. The defects in the structure were first discovered in the roof, which has been completely taken off, and the interior of the building cleaned down, and washed, to prevent dry rot. The floors have been taken up for about a yard deep, the new flooring which has been put down being of pitch pine. The same process has been used also in connection with the ceiling, which is of polished pitch pine boards fixed diagonally, with suitable ventilation and brackets and supports to correspond, resting on stone corners. The room is illuminated by means of four handsome gas burners, each containing 14 jets. The old gallery has been taken down, and the stained-glass window facing Crow-lane refilled, and it now looks exceedingly chaste. The large room as it now stands is 57 feet 6in. by 40 feet, and 25 feet high from the floor to roof. At the back a new tea-room 14 feet 6 in. by 8 feet 6 in. has been erected with other outbuildings and sanitary conveniences upon the most improved system. The new porches forming the front entrance are fitted with swing doors of pitch pine. The walls are of Keen's cement and the swing doors in the lobbies of embossed glass. The work was begun at the latter end of July, and the architect is Mr. Axon, of Leigh. On Monday evening the re-opening was celebrated by a social evening and concert. [Widnes Examiner - Friday 07 January 1898 page 8]