Huntingdon House: formerly Countess of Huntingdon’s Church
James Gray: This old photograph, dating from 1871, the time of the rebuilding of Countess of Huntingdon’s Church, gives just a glimpse of the Colonnade as it rounds the corner of New Road into North Street. jgc_21_122
2020: Huntingdon House (currently incorporating a Watches of Switzerland shop at pavement level) now graces the site of the Countess of Huntingdon’s Church. A colonnade remains at the corner of New Road and North Street. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: The old Chapel of 1870. jgc_21_129
James Gray: This photograph, probably taken in 1869, provides an interesting subject for comparison with that appearing on the next page [jgc_21_129]. It shows the old Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel which was removed in 1870 and replaced by the present building. In the two photographs it will be seen that the adjoining buildings are identical and that the lamp post is in the same place. jgc_21_132
James Gray: New. 1871. jgc_21_131
James Gray: Taken early on a summer’s morning, the object of the photograph was almost certainly the recently rebuilt Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel. The old building dating from 1774 had been removed in 1870, and the rebuilt Chapel was opened in March 1871. What a sorry contrast it presents externally in 1953!
North Street, below the Chapel, was then extremely narrow, while the Colonnade extended from the Theatre Royal, round the corner into North Street so far as Bond Street. jgc_21_133
James Gray: Two more photographs of the newly built chapel, very similar to the other two on other pages. Probably all four [jgc_21_122, 131, 133 and 134] were taken within a short time of each other and all early in the morning but the number and appearance of the bystanders differ in every case. The rebuilt chapel was opened on 20 March 1871 and it seems likely that all these photographs were taken soon afterwards in that year. jgc_21_134
James Gray: Plaque on the front of the church. It reads:
“George Whitefield, Fletcher of Madely, Augustus Toplady, William Romaine, and other leaders of the great Evangelical revival preached on this spot. The present building was erected during the ministry of the Rev. J B Figgis M. A. 1861-1897″ jgc_21_137
James Gray: See caption for jgc_21_134 above. jgc_21_135
James Gray: Compare this photograph with that on the previous page. They were taken from about the same spot in New Road. 100 years of Brighton’s breezes have taken their toll. The final service was held on Sunday 25 September 1966, after which the church was closed. It still stands, 1968, but is likely to be sold and demolished. Photographed 27 November 1966. jgc_21_136
James Gray: New, 1895. jgc_21_130
James Gray: This congregation of the Sons of Temperance, in 1922, is assembled at the entrance to North Street Congregational Church – otherwise known as the Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel. jgc_21_145
James Gray: After the church was closed in September 1966, and later sold to a commercial firm, the steeple was considered to be unsafe and a danger to traffic and people in North Street. Accordingly, in November 1969 it was demolished. Preliminary work seen here. jgc_21_138
James Gray: A close up view of the steeple. jgc_21_139