THE memorial stone of this edifice was laid on June 23, 1868, by James
Harvey, Esq., Treasurer of the London Baptist Association; when an
address was delivered by the Rev. W. Brock, D.D., of Bloomsbury Chapel.
A meeting followed in the evening, presided over by J. H. Tritton, Esq.,
when most of the principal ministers representing Nonconformity in West
London were present; and among them the Rev. J. A. Aston, M.A., the then
catholic-spirited Incumbent of St. Stephen’s Church, which is situated
close to the chapel. The immediate site is in the Cornwall-gardens,
Gloucester-road, and near the Gloucester-road Railway-station, one of the
most eligible sites that could be selected, in the midst of one of the
newest and choicest suburbs of the metropolis. The neighbourhood
included between the Brompton-road and Queen’s-gate in one direction, and
the Cornwall and Fulham-roads in the other, has few rivals in or around
London. It includes the vicinity of South Kensington Museum,
Cromwell-road, Onslow-square, Onslow-gardens; Gloucester-road,
Queen’s-gate, Victoria-road, &c. It was here that the Rev. Samuel Bird,
after having laboured for some time at the Hornton-street Tabernacle, and
subsequently at the Avenue-place Room, Kensington, conceived the idea of
erecting a chapel. Having taken a lease of the land, with a right of
pre-emption after a specified period, he proceeded to build. Messrs.
Searle and Sons were the architects, and Mr. W. Higgs the builder, and in
due course it was opened for Divine worship. At first it seemed as
though Nonconformity in South Kensington was about to make an onward
movement; but whether from any social peculiarity in the locality, or
personal peculiarity in the minister, or from the circumstance of the
opening and enterprising of two or three more new churches in the same
part, we cannot pretend to say; but certain it is that the new Baptist
church, ere yet it was scarcely formed, suddenly collapsed. After about
two years’ effort, the minister departed and the chapel was closed. It
has remained closed to the present time (Feb., 1872); and is now
announced to be sold by auction at the City Mart, by Messrs. Fox and
Bousfield, on the 14th inst. Its future history therefore cannot for the
moment be predicted. It is an affecting sight to see so handsome a
building deserted; and on visiting it for the purpose of a survey, an
aged person, formerly, as we learned from himself, a member of the
congregation, and who now seemed not far from the better world, was
pensively whiling away the quiet morning in the fresh air around the
silent temple. He was sadly deploring the desolation and abandonment of
his Zion; and seemed to have his own theory as to the cause of the
failure, of which he made no secret. The building is one of the
completest, most commodious and effective chapels to be met with around
London. It is in brick with Bath-stone dressings, and designed generally
in the early geometrical Gothic style of architecture; and has been
greatly beautified by the mortgagee, since it was closed to the public,
by the erection of a handsome tower and spire; and the facilities of the
interior have been also increased by the erection of a gallery. It now
affords accommodation for 1,000 persons. It is substantially fitted with
modern pewing and pulpit, and has an excellent baptistry, vestry, large
schoolroom, and apparatus for warming and lighting. There are three
front entrances with lobbies, two communicating by staircases with the
gallery, and the centre one with the body of the building. There are
also two side entrances; and three handsome lamp-posts adorn the
frontage. It must have been heart-breaking to be the instrument of
rearing such an edifice, and so soon to be compelled to relinquish it.
For some time past the Incumbent of St. Stephen’s has been using the
spacious schoolroom underneath the ground-floor of the chapel for a
day-school.