The Central Co-Operative Stores Downing Street Manchester

NEW CO-OPERATIVE STORE - Th« foundation stone of another co-operative for Manchester was laid in Downing street, London-road, on Saturday, by the Mayor (Mr. A. Heywood). It will form the central store of the many valuable buildings belonging to the Manchester and Salford Co-operative Society, who will build it at an expense of £2,800. A new feature will be the addition of a working men's institute. The building will have a frontage in Downing-street of 70 feet, by 60 feet deep. The style of architecture will be Lombardo-Italian. The basement story will be occupied as a bakehouse, with vaulted ceiling, mi the fore part as a storeroom for heavy goods. On the ground floor there will be three large shops, with a warehouse, and the manager's office at the rear. The front entrance from Downing-street will lead to the rooms above. The floor will be paved with Minton tiles. On the first floor there will be another warehouse, and s horary and reading-room for the use of the members. The upper room will be used as a meeting room, capable of holding upwards of a thousand persons. Out of this entrance will be gained to several small ante-rooms. The front is of red stock bricks, with black bricks in bands and twusoini of arches, the cornices and pediment of buff moulded brick and stone. The shop fronts are carried by cast-iron panelled box lintels and standards, the roof timbers of the large room are stained and varnished. The building is expected to be completed by March next. The architects are Messrs. Pennington and Bridgen, Manchester and the builder, Mr. Johnson, of Ancoats. [14 November 1863 page 810-811]

THE CENTRAL CO-OPERATIVE STORES IN MANCHESTER. THE new central co-operative stores in Downing Street have been opened. The building depends externally for architectural effect on a mixture of coloured and moulded bricks, stone being sparingly used. The shop fronts are carried on box lintels of cast-iron, visible, and constructionally treated. The pediment breaks the line of main cornice. The façade is in Downing-street, from which entrance is effected by a stone staircase to the reading-room and library, which are special features connected with the stores. The large hall above is capable of seating nearly a thousand people. Another entrance leads to the drapery establishment and to the show-room on the first-floor; and on the ground-floor is the shopping warehouse, divided into two compartments, one for groceries alone, and the other for bread and food stores. In the cellar is a bake-house, admirably fitted up. Messrs. Pennington & Bridgen were the architects. The cost, including the fittings, supplied by Messrs. Statham & Sons, of Pendleton, has been over £3,000. The builder was Mr Johnson, of Ancoats. [Builder 21 January 1865 Page 50]

Reference    Manchester Guardian Tuesday 25 August 1863 Page 1 (Contracts)
Reference    Manchester Guardian Thursday 27 August 1863 Page 1 (Contracts)
Reference    Builder 14 November 1863 page 810-811 (734)
Reference    Builder 21 January 1865 Page 50 – opening