James Gray: Photographs of 25 March 1984, depicting the demolition of this, the most central church in Brighton. Built in 1853/4, and opened on 12 October 1854, the building was extended northwards in 1866. Union Church Institute, further up Queen Square, was erected in 1908. The Church, having amalgamated with the Presbyterian Church in North Road, became redundant, hence its demolition. This view is from Queens Road, looking at the east façade and the entrances to Air Street and Zion Gardens. jgc_21_017
2018: The Union Church was demolished in 1984 and has since been replaced by an office block with shops at street level.
James Gray: Looking through Air Street at the east face of Union Church in Queen Square, and a good view of the Quadrant Hotel in North Street Quadrant. Year not known, but where was all the traffic? jgc_21_019
2018: The pub, now named The Quadrant, remains almost unchanged from the James Gray image and is now Grade II listed. The road layout remains the same but the shops in Air Street have changed – the shop with the green frontage is now a camping/outdoor shop. The Union Church was demolished in 1984 and the modern Domestic & General office block now dominates. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: Mr Wood’s Newsagents shop, at 1 Air Street. The dates on the placards are too indistinct to read—1912 or 1913. jgc_21_038
2018: The shop in the earlier image has been demolished. There is now on the site a modern office block with a small supermarket and newsagent on the ground floor. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: Consequent upon the decision to demolish Union Church, in Queen Square, the narrow adjoining Air Street was also affected. Laid out about 1850 when the Church was also projected, it consisted of small lock-up shops and the larger Union Church Hall, seen at the extreme left. Following the demolitions, the shops facing the Church were spared. Date of photograph: 25 March 1984. jgc_21_039
2018: The buildings in the earlier image of Air Street have been demolished and replaced by modern office/retail blocks. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: See caption for previous image (jgc_21_039). Date of photograph: 25 March 1984. jgc_21_040
2018: The thoroughfare of Air Street remains but most of the buildings have changed—only The Quadrant pub on the corner of Air Street remains the same. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: The peaceful scene in Queen Square at the top of North Street, in 1907. At that period, it was entirely residential with a Baptist Chapel at the top of the east side as well as Union Church, lower down. jgc_21_050
2018: The assortment of buildings on Air Street on the right-hand side of the image has been replaced by larger retail units. The Union Church was demolished in 1984 and replaced by a large office development fronting Queen Square. (Photographer: Alan Stratford)