Overseers’ Offices, Fountain Street Manchester

LAYING THE STONE AT THE OVERSEERS’ OFFICES FOUNTAIN STREET After some endeavour to dispose of the existing offices, now become too large for the overseers and the church wardens, since a great part of their former functions are now discharged by the Manchester poor-law board of guardians, it was resolved to pull down a part of the existing offices and to build new offices on the site; leaving the remainder of the offices or their site, not required by the officers, to be sold or let for the benefit of the town. The demolition having been completed and the new edifice commenced, there was an assemblage at the site on Monday last, at the ceremonial of laying the corner stone. ..... (details of ceremony. Among those present -Thomas Worthington, architect and Mr Foggatt, builder) ... The new offices for the overseers and the churchwardens of Manchester will be a three-storey building of brick with stone facings; comprising one large room on the ground floor, arranged much like a bank, for the general clerks; on the first floor, a board room, a waiting room, and Mr Ling’s office. On both these floors there will be fire-proof safes. The second floor will be the porter’s dwelling. The cellars are also to be arched and fire-proof; and if not required for the purposes of the overseers, they will be let off for the benefit of the town. [Manchester Guardian 24 January 1852 page 6].

Reference           Manchester Guardian 24 January 1852 page 6

Note: The top two floors were added in 1858