Stockport Central Library

Library in Stockport, England

Stockport Central Library perspective drawing, 1911 Stockport Central Library, 2014 Interior - reference library. Archive shot from 1913

53°24′29″N 2°09′38″W﻿ / ﻿53.40817°N 2.16061°W﻿ / 53.40817; -2.16061 Stockport Central Library is a Carnegie library in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1913–15 to designs by Bradshaw, Gass and Hope in the Edwardian Baroque style and as of 2023 continues to serve as Stockport's largest library.[1]

## Location

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It is situated on the corner of St Petersgate and Wellington Road South. The north south axis of the town had changed in 1826 with the opening of the new bridge and turnpike, the straight wide Wellington Roads. That relieved the 1724 turnpike that used Lancashire Hill, Lancashire Bridge, Great Underbank and Hillgate, of the Manchester to Derby through traffic. So in 1875 the market place and St Mary's church had lost their prestige. New civic buildings were planned for Wellington Road South. The first building on the St Petersgate, Wellington Road South site was a mechanics' institute.[2]

## History

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The first relevant date for public libraries was 1850 when the Public Libraries Act 1850 gave municipal boroughs such as Stockport the power to fund public libraries. The first Stockport Library was opened in 1875 in the market over the cheese hall. This proved less than satisfactory, with an 1885 report stating "The ventilation of all the rooms is bad...There is not sufficient outlet for bad air which at certain times is overpowering. The air in the large reading room is particularly bad, being impregnated with the stench coming from the hall underneath". It was condemned in 1890 and replaced 23 years later.[3]

In neighbouring Reddish, Houldsworth built baths, and a library for his workers in 1907.

Stockport Central Library was built in 1913 with the assistance of Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919), an industrialist turned philanthropist. Carnegie was born in Scotland and emigrated to America with his family in 1848. His father was a weaver and his mother was a shoemaker's daughter. He worked in a cotton mill as a pirner (U.S. Bobbin boy) then as an engine tenter, a telegraph messenger and operator. He also worked as a telegraph operator on the American railways and foreseeing future demand for iron and steel, he founded his own company in 1873, concentrating on steel. His companies prospered despite a depression and in 1901 were consolidated, and sold forming the United States Steel Corporation.[2] With a personal fortune of $480 million, he endowed 2,509 libraries worldwide and 660 libraries in Britain.

Initially, Carnegie offered Stockport Corporation £10,000 for the erection of a free central library. The design was put out to competition and Bradshaw & Gass submitted a design costing £14,000. The Carnegie assessor, Percy S Worthington, awarded the 'premium' to them in October 1910. This was over budget, and Carnegie increased his offer to £15,000 on condition that the Corporation provided a further £2,000 to build a branch library in another part of the town. [4]

Tenders were sought in September 1911, the full design drawings were supplied in 1913, and the building was completed in 1914. The final statement of accounts show it cost £15,000.10.6d.[1]

## Building

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Foundation stone laying for Stockport Central Library, 1912

It was built by Bradshaw Gass & Hope, one of a series of libraries built on the strength of their design for Bolton Library. The library is of red brick and Portland stone, in the Edwardian Baroque style complete with prominent corner dome with a tall finial. The entrance is offset by one bay along the Wellington Road South elevation. This too is flanked by banded brick pilasters, and surmounted by heavy stone carvings. This and a symmetrically matching bay has a tall arched window, cornice and cartouche in the frieze. In between is a five-window range with an attic storey with small windows. A rusticated basement takes advantage of the fall of the land; the elevation to St Petersgate is broadly similar to the Wellington Street South elevation but with basement windows.[5][1]

The ground floor library has arcades and a glazed dome supported by Ionic columns, with stained glass windows with the names of writers. It has been locally listed, as Building 473. [5]

## Facilities

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As of 2015 it functions as a reference library, a family history centre and a lending library six days a week on reduced hours, closing at 5.00pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and 4.00 on a Saturday but maintaining its service to 7.00pm on the other days.[6][7]

## See also

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* Listed buildings in Stockport

## References

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Notes

1. ^ a b c Lingard & Lingard 2007, p. 87.
2. ^ a b Smith 2003.
3. ^ HYP 2013.
4. ^ Lingard & Lingard 2007, p. 86.
5. ^ a b Stockport Historic Environment 473.
6. ^ "Stockport library consultation set for second round". Retrieved 29 October 2015.
7. ^ "Library Opening Times-Stockport". Library Opening Times. Retrieved 29 October 2015.

Bibliography

* Lingard, Jane; Lingard, Timothy (2007). Bradshaw Gass & Hope : the story of an architectural practice - the first one hundred years 1862-1962. London: Gallery Lingard. ISBN 978-0-9556035-0-1.
* Smith, Mike. "Public Buildings, Law Courts, Parks, Banks, Cinemas, Swimming Baths, Churches and Pubs". Goods & Not So Goods An overview of railway freight operations for modellers. DA2C. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
* "Heritage Young People's Newsletter Summer 2013". Stockport Local Heritage Library. 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
* "Stockport Historic Environment Database". Stockport Historic Environment Database. 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stockport Central Library.

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Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, England

Buildings|

* Abney Hall
* Barnes Hospital, Cheadle
* Bramall Hall
* Broadstone Mill, Reddish
* Cheadle Hulme School
* Elder Mill, Romiley
* Hat Works
* Houldsworth Mill, Reddish
* Houldsworth Working Men's Club
* Kingston Mill
* Mauldeth Hall
* Meadow Mill
* Mellor Hall
* Millennium House
* Moseley Old Hall, Cheadle
* New Hall, Woodford
* Old Manor Farm, Marple
* Nelstrops Albion Flour Mills
* Pear New Mill
* Plaza Cinema
* Staircase House
* Stockport Armoury
* Stockport Central Library
* Stockport College
* Stockport Town Hall
* Strawberry Studios
* Underbank Hall
* Vernon Mill
* Wear Mill
* Welkin Mill, Lower Bredbury
* Woodbank

Places of worship|

* All Saints Church, Marple
* Christ Church, Heaton Norris
* St Elisabeth's Church, Reddish
* St George's Church, Heaviley
* St Joseph's Church, Stockport
* St Martin's Church, Marple
* St Mary's Church, Cheadle
* St Mary's Church, Stockport
* Our Lady and the Apostles Church, Stockport
* St Peter's Church, Stockport
* St. Thomas' Church, Mellor
* St Thomas' Church, Stockport

Education|

* Aquinas College
* Bramhall High School
* Castle Hill High School, Offerton
* Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College
* Cheadle Hulme High School
* Harrytown Catholic High School
* Hazel Grove High School
* The Kingsway School
* Marple Hall School
* Priestnall School
* Reddish Vale High School
* St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy
* St James' Catholic High School
* Seashell Trust
* Stella Maris School
* Stockport Academy
* Stockport College
* Stockport Grammar School
* Stockport School
* Werneth School

Transportation|

* Bramhall railway station
* Bredbury railway station
* Brinnington railway station
* Cheadle Hulme railway station
* Davenport railway station
* Gatley railway station
* Hazel Grove railway station
* Heald Green railway station
* Heaton Chapel railway station
* Marple railway station
* Middlewood railway station
* Reddish North railway station
* Reddish South railway station
* Romiley railway station
* Rose Hill Marple railway station
* Stockport bus station
* Stockport Interchange
* Stockport railway station
* Strines railway station
* Woodley railway station
* Woodsmoor railway station

Shopping complexes|

* Grand Central Stockport
* Merseyway Shopping Centre
* The Peel Centre

Sport and entertainment|

* Avro Heritage Museum
* Edgeley Park
* Garrick Theatre
* Plaza Cinema, Stockport
* Stockport Air Raid Shelters

Bridges|

* Marple Aqueduct
* Stockport Viaduct

Others|

* Stepping Hill Hospital
* Stockport Sunday School

Demolished|

* Cheadle Heath railway station
* Cheadle Lower Mill
* Cheadle LNW railway station
* Cheadle North railway station
* Green Lane
* Hazel Grove (Midland) railway station
* Heaton Mersey railway station
* Heaton Norris railway station
* Mellor Mill
* Palmer Mills, Stockport
* Portwood railway station
* Stockport Castle
* Stockport Tiviot Dale railway station
* Wood Mill, Woodley

Lists|

* List of schools in Stockport
* List of mills in Stockport

Listed buildings in|

* Bredbury and Romiley
* Cheadle and Gatley
* Hazel Grove and Bramhall
* Marple
* Stockport

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

People|

* ISIL: OCLC-UKSLI

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