Former Salvation Army Building, Wellington Street
Location/Address
17 Wellington Street, Barnsley
Type
Description
Two storey building of red brick with polychrome brickwork to window jambs and white painted stone dressings to window lintels, mullions and forming bands across the façade. The principal elevation faces west onto Wellington Street where it forms three projecting crenulated bays, of which the central bay is slightly taller. Wide, tall segmental arched doors are positioned in the outer bays with windows above and central plain plastered panels between. The central bay has three-light mullioned windows with a similar panel between floors wherein a former inscription is just visible reading “THE SALVATION ARMY CITADEL”. The interior comprises, in the main, of a central hall with galleries around three sides supported on cast iron columns with moulded capitals and a rostrum on the fourth side. To the east, behind the main hall are two small rooms and a secondary hall with vaulted ceiling. The building has, at time of writing, been vacant for several years in which it has been damaged by vandalism, fire and water ingress. Nonetheless, the principal structure survives, as do important components of its interior including the gallery, parts of the rostrum and staircases with turned wood balustrades.
The Salvation Army had first occupied a skating rink in Barnsley which was vacated after a snowstorm destroyed its roof. They subsequently relocating to the Temperance Hall on Pitt Street. Plans were drawn up for a purpose-built premises at Wellington Street, with construction completed by January 1896. Described at the time of its opening, the citadel was said to have accommodation for 800 worshipers in the main hall, with an additional room for 200 juvenile members and meetings. The designs were by the Salvation Army architect, Alex Gordon; built by H. Barrows & Sons of Barnsley; and cost £2000 of which a large portion was gifted by subscription.
The memorial commemorating soldiers who died during WW1 who had attended the services in the citadel, erected in the building, is currently stored with the Salvation Army in Wombwell. The building was vacated by the Army in 2004 and has since been unused.
Sources: Opening: Barnsley Chronicle - Saturday 01 February 1896; WWI memorial: https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/70336; Interior photographs: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/salvation-army-citadel-barnsley-march-2015.96082/ and https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/salvation-army-citadel-barnsley-dec-2016.106720/; Sheffield Citadel for comparison: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1247367 https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/the-citadel-salvation-army-sheffield-2017.115335/
Statement of Significance
Asset type
BuildingAge
Built 1895-1896. The building dates to an active period of the Salvation Army, which had first formed in London in around 1865, and reflects the growth of Barnsley and increased interest in the Salvation Army movement.Rarity
The building was the first, and only, purpose-built Salvation Army Citadel in Barnsley. There are few purpose-built citadels in South Yorkshire, with the other notable example being that in Sheffield, which was built c.1894 and is Grade II Listed. The form of the building, with an indoor lecturing hall and gallery, is of a rare type in the local area.Architectural and Artistic Interest
The building was designed by the architect Alex Gordon M.S.A. The building has an interesting front façade, including many dark brickwork details, which draws on an essentially non-conformist architectural style but with castellated detailing reflecting the organisation’s quasi-military stylings. Comparing the building to the original plans, the building seems unaltered with only minor repair work (and now boarded doors and broken window panes).Group Value
The building forms a group with other buildings of the Salvation Army movement including, notably, the Citadel in Sheffield, which is of a similar date and, although by a different architect, clearly share the same architectural influence. Within its local context, the building also forms a group with the adjacent “Stone Roses Bar”, which is of a similar age and shares similarities in terms of materials and the broader eclectic architecture of the period.Historic Interest
The building is locally important in terms of social, cultural and military history because it was a place of worship for Christian workers and after the First World War it provided support and a memorial place for the soldiers that had fallen and those that where in remembrance of them. The building has a high profile appearance, showing its importance.Landmark Status
This building faces onto a junction, making it stand out from the rest of the buildings along Wellington Street.Images and Documents
Date Listed
16 Apr 2024
Last Updated
22 Nov 2023
Find Out More
Find out more about this Asset in South Yorkshire Local Heritage List:
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/south-yorkshire/asset/14150
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/south-yorkshire/asset/14150