St Mark's, Mayfair
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St Mark's Church, Mayfair, is a Grade I listed building, in the heart of London's Mayfair district, on North Audley Street.
Building history
St Mark's was built in 1825–28[1] in order to tackle the shortage of ‘church sittings’ in the area. At the time, the population in Mayfair had grown as a result of the demand for town houses by members of the aristocracy and the wealthy moving in from the country.[2][3] The building was constructed in the Greek revival style to the designs of John Peter Gandy. Gandy was highly regarded in Greek Revival architecture and produced most of his work in neo-classical designs, with St Mark's being one of the finest examples.[citation needed]
In 1878 Sir Arthur Blomfield made significant changes to the church, including the addition of impressive timber roof, covering the main body of the structure, as well as extra features in gothic style. The 34 feet (10 m) façade, together with the elegant porch, is known as one of the finest in London. The church is now deconsecrated and has been included on English Heritage’s "Buildings at Risk" register for over 20 years.[citation needed]
Hammer Holdings Limited successfully applied for planning permission to convert the building into a 'wellness centre' in 2006, but a campaign led by Lady Sainsbury prevented this.[4] It was subsequently acquired by One Events in 2009 to as a mixed-use venue. In July 2014 the building was acquired by Grosvenor Estates.[5]
History as a place of worship
1939 – 1945
During wartime St Mark's became informally known as The American Church in London due to its proximity to the embassy and as a centre for worshippers from the United States. It was visited by both President Dwight Eisenhower and Eleanor Roosevelt.[6]
1949
| External videos | |
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| St. Mark’s Church | |
 Earl of Harewood's Wedding - 1949 - British Movietone on YouTube（AP News Archive） |
On the 29th of September St. Mark’s was the venue for the society wedding of George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood and pianist Marion Stein. The ceremony was attended by King George VI and other members of the royal family. A wedding anthem specially composed and conducted by Benjamin Britten was performed at the service[7].
1950s & 1960s
The congregation dwindled and the church was declared redundant in 1974.[citation needed]
1975–1994
The church was abandoned'[8]
1994–2008
The Diocese of London allowed the use of the church by The Commonwealth Christian Fellowship led by Rod and Julie Anderson[9] who met there with a congregation of around 120 and provided an out-reach programme for anti-knife crime training for teenagers, home visits for elderly people and help for the homeless.[8]
2015
Between February and May 2015 the church hosted This Present House, as the first community in London with services every Sunday at 16:00.[10][11]
Other uses
The building has been used for other events in recent years. For example, by Nike, The London Summer Show,[12] London Fashion Week and by Grosvenor Estates [13]
References
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mark's (1225301)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ^ "Row over plan to turn listed Mayfair church into spa". The Evening Standard.
- ^ "Mayfair". british-history.ac.uk.
- ^ Jonathan Wynne-Jones (12 September 2008). "Actors launch campaign to save historic church from development". Telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Grosvenor – Grosvenor Acquires 'One Mayfair' From One Events". grosvenor.com.
- ^ ""The Mayfair Church, the Health Spa Tycoon and an Unholy Row That's Split the Neighbourhood; Dispute: Multi-Millionaire George Hammer Plans to Turn St Mark's Church in North Audley Street into a Spa. He Is Facing Opposition from the Congregation, Including Lady Sainsbury, Below" – The Evening Standard (London, England), September 12, 2008 – Online Research Library: Questia". questia.com.
- ^ Keleney, Anne (12 March 2014). "Marion Thorpe: Pianist who fled the Nazis in 1938 before sacrificing her career for her family and going on to marry Jeremy Thorpe". The Independent.
- ^ a b "Historic UK Church to Remain House of Worship". cbn.com.
- ^ "Rod & Julie Anderson". Rodandjulie.com. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ "Dare to Believe". Archived from the original on March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "One Mayfair". One Events.
- ^ "St Mark's Church, North Audley Street W1". bwcp.co.uk.