Smethwick Council House

Last updated

Smethwick Council House
Smethwick Council Offices (geograph 6192802).jpg
Smethwick Council House
LocationHigh Street, Smethwick
Coordinates 52°29′27″N1°58′03″W / 52.4909°N 1.9674°W / 52.4909; -1.9674
Built1907
ArchitectFrederick J. Gill
Architectural style(s) Baroque style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameCouncil House
Designated29 September 1987
Reference no.1342665
West Midlands UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in the West Midlands

Smethwick Council House is a municipal building in Smethwick, West Midlands, England. The building, which is located on High Street and was once the headquarters of Smethwick Borough Council, is now a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

The "public buildings" in Smethwick (currently used as a public library) Smethwick public library.jpg
The "public buildings" in Smethwick (currently used as a public library)

After a local board of health was established in the town in 1856, it commissioned the "public buildings" for the town. This structure, which was designed by Yeoville Thomason in the Gothic style, was erected on the west side of the High Street and completed in 1867. [2] [lower-alpha 1] After significant population growth, largely associated with new engineering businesses being formed in the town, the area became an urban district in 1894 and a municipal borough in 1899. [3] In this context the new civic leaders decided to procure a new civic building: the site they selected was open land further south along the High Street on the east side. [4]

The foundation stone for the new building was laid by the mayor on 2 November 1905. [5] It was designed by Smethwick-based architect Frederick J. Gill [6] in the Baroque style, built in red brick with some buff terracotta facings by John Dallow and Sons at a cost of £17,000 and was officially opened by the mayor on 19 June 1907. [5] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with fifteen bays facing onto the High Street; the central section of three bays, which slightly projected forward and was buff terracotta faced, featured a full-height tetrastyle portico with an arched entrance on the ground floor and sash windows on the first floor flanked by Ionic order columns supporting an entablature inscribed with the words "Council House" together with a modillioned pediment containing an oculus in the tympanum. [1] The penultimate bays of each of the wings, which also projected forward and were also buff terracotta faced, featured sash windows on the first floor flanked by Ionic order pilasters supporting segmental pediments. [1] At roof level there is a cornice, a parapet and a clock tower with a cupola. [1] The clock was manufactured by Smith of Derby Group and the three bells were made by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough. [5] Internally, the principal room was the council chamber, which was furnished with busts and paintings. [7]

The area went on to become a county borough with the council house as its headquarters in 1907. [3] A war memorial, in the form of a granite column with a bronze figure of peace at the front and with a bronze urn above, was installed just to the south of the council house in 1920. [8] A plaque to commemorate the life of a local soldier, Sergeant Harold Colley, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Martinpuich in France during the First World War, was unveiled in the vestibule of the council house after the war. [9] During the Second World War a bomb landed in front of the council house on the night of 11 December 1940 but failed to explode. [10] An extension to the rear of the building, which was linked by a bridge, was completed in 1957. [2]

The council house continued to serve as the headquarters of the county borough for much of the 20th century and continued to function as the meeting place of the new Warley County Borough after it was formed in 1966. [11] [12] However, it ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council was formed in 1974. [13] The building was subsequently let to a variety of local organisations and businesses including West Smethwick Enterprise. [14]

A memorial plaque to commemorate the life of the locally-born army officer, Lieutenant Den Brotheridge, the first Allied soldier to be killed in action in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, was unveiled at the council house by his daughter, Margaret Brotheridge, on 2 April 1995. [15] An extensive programme of restoration works, which involved the replacement of many of the terracotta facings and the complete replacement of the roofing slates, was completed at a cost of £350,000 in 2019. The work was recognised by Birmingham & West Midlands group of The Victorian Society, which declared the project the winner of their 2019 Conservation Award. [16]

Notes

  1. The public buildings were converted for use as a labour exchange in 1907 and then as a public library in 1928. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands (county)</span> County of England

West Midlands is a ceremonial county in the larger West Midlands region of England. A landlocked county, it is bordered by Staffordshire to the north and west, Worcestershire to the southwest, and is surrounded by Warwickshire to the east and southeast. The largest settlement is the city of Birmingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Bromwich</span> Town in West Midlands, England

West Bromwich is a market town in the borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is 7 miles northwest of Birmingham. West Bromwich is part of the area known as the Black Country, in terms of geography, culture and dialect. West Bromwich had a population of 103,112 in the 2021 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smethwick</span> Town in West Midlands, England

Smethwick is an industrial town in Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It lies 4 miles (6 km) west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire and then Worcestershire before being placed into then West Midlands County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwell</span> Metropolitan borough in England

Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands county in England. The borough is named after the Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of the West Midlands conurbation. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council defines the borough as the six amalgamated towns of Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. Rowley Regis includes the towns of Blackheath and Cradley Heath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halesowen</span> Town in England

Halesowen is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the county of West Midlands, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council</span>

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974 to administer the newly formed Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands county of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Borough of Warley</span>

Warley was a short-lived county borough and civil parish in the geographical county of Worcestershire, England, forming part of the West Midlands conurbation. It was formed in 1966 by the combination of the existing county borough of Smethwick with the municipal boroughs of Oldbury and Rowley Regis, by recommendation of the Local Government Commission for England. It was abolished just 8 years later in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, with its area passing to the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold John Colley</span> English Victoria Cross recipient (1895-1918)

Harold John Colley VC MM was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bearwood, West Midlands</span> Human settlement in England

Bearwood is the southern part of Smethwick, Sandwell, West Midlands, England, and north of the A456 Hagley Road. Bearwood Hill was the original name of the High Street from Smethwick Council House to Windmill Lane. The border at the Shireland Brook where Portland Road (Edgbaston) becomes Shireland Road (Sandwell) is signed "Bearwood".

Galton Village is a residential area of Smethwick, West Midlands, England. It takes its name from the iconic nearby Galton Bridge that was named after local business man Samuel Galton whose land the new BCN Main Line canal was built through, the canal runs behind Galton Village as does the Stour Valley section of West Coast Mainline. The Oldbury Road runs through the area which begins next to Smethwick’s Galton Bridge railway station and ends at Spon Lane, next to a small shopping centre.

Cape Hill is an area in Smethwick, Sandwell, West Midlands. It is centred on the road of the same name and includes the adjoining streets. Cape Hill starts at Waterloo Road near Shireland Collegiate Academy and ends at the High Street near Victoria Park. Cape Hill finishes at the start of the Dudley Road which forms the boundary with Birmingham and leads to Birmingham City Centre. Cape Hill is Smethwick's busiest shopping area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evolution of Worcestershire county boundaries since 1844</span>

The administrative boundaries of Worcestershire, England have been fluid for over 150 years since the first major changes in 1844. There were many detached parts of Worcestershire in the surrounding counties, and conversely there were islands of other counties within Worcestershire. The 1844 Counties Act began the process of eliminating these, but the process was not completed until 1966, when Dudley was absorbed into Staffordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warley Woods</span> Public park in Warley, England

Warley Woods is a 100-acre (40 ha) public park in the Warley district of Smethwick, in Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England, originally laid out by Humphry Repton. It has been grade II listed by English Heritage in their Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest since September 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Smethwick Park</span>

West Smethwick Park is a public park in the St Pauls ward of Smethwick, England. It opened on 7 September 1895.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheltenham Municipal Offices</span> Municipal building in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

The Cheltenham Municipal Offices are a municipal facility on The Promenade, Cheltenham, England. The offices, which are the headquarters of Cheltenham Borough Council, are a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westhoughton Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Westhoughton, Greater Manchester, England

Westhoughton Town Hall is a municipal building in Market Street, Westhoughton, Greater Manchester, England. The town hall is the meeting place of Westhoughton Town Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Buildings, Oldbury</span> Municipal building in Oldbury, West Midlands, England

The Municipal Buildings are in Oldbury town centre, West Midlands, England. The structure served as the headquarters of Oldbury Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wednesbury Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Wednesbury, West Midlands, England

Wednesbury Town Hall is a municipal building in Holyhead Road in Wednesbury, West Midlands, England. The structure, which was the meeting place of Wednesbury Borough Council, now operates as an events venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horbury Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Horbury, West Yorkshire, England

Horbury Town Hall is a former municipal building in Westfield Road, Horbury, West Yorkshire, England. The structure, which is now used as business centre, is a locally listed building.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Historic England. "Council House (1342665)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Baggs, A. P.; Baugh, G. C.; Currie, C. R. J.; Johnson, D. A. (1976). "'Smethwick: Local government', in A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 17, Offlow Hundred (Part), ed. M W Greenslade". London: British History Online. pp. 118–120. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Smethwick CB/UD/MB". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  4. "Ordnance Survey Map". 1890. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Pickford, Chris (29 September 2020). "Bells in and around Birmingham: A survey and history" (PDF). p. 86. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  6. "Frederick John Gill and George Randle & Son, Architects, Smethwick". blackcountryhistory.org. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  7. "£350k restoration to protect council house underway". Express and Star. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  8. Historic England. "War Memorial, Victoria Park (1077115)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  9. "H. J. Colley V.C., M.M. Memorial". War Memorials Online. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  10. Richards, Steve. "Bomb Disposal: Just doing his job..." British Modern Military History Society. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  11. "Local Government (West Midlands Order) HC Deb 02 December 1965 vol 721 cc1793-846". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 2 December 1965. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  12. Carey, Adam John (1 March 2016). "Politics, Governance and the Shaping of Smethwick since 1945" (PDF). University of Birmingham. p. 407. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  13. Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN   0-10-547072-4.
  14. "About us". West Smethwick Enterprise. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  15. "Lt H. D. Brotheridge". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  16. "Birmingham & West Midlands group's 2019 Conservation Award winner announced". The Victorian Society. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021.