145 Piccadilly
145 Piccadilly was a large terraced
Location and description
The house faced Green Park and was near the Hyde Park Corner end of Piccadilly.[1][2] It was built c. 1795 to designs by Samuel Pepys Cockerell for Sir Drummond Smith, 1st Baronet.[3] It was set over five storeys with 25 rooms, a ballroom and a library. The house opened onto a large hallway with green columns.[1] The house had an electric lift and a large glass dome was situated in the roof.[1] A morning room overlooked a small garden which led to Hamilton Gardens, a communal garden shared with the other residents of adjoining houses. Hamilton Gardens directly joined Hyde Park.[1]
History
William Purey, the eldest son of William Cust, died at No. 145 on 11 February 1845, aged 44.[4] The German pianist and composer Jacques Blumenthal held his Annual Grande Matinee Musicale at the house in June 1859 when it was the residence of Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton.[5]
It was the residence of the brewer and politician Hamar Bass in the 1880s and 1890s. He left it in 1898 to his son Sir William Bass, 2nd Baronet.[6] Albert Maximilian von Goldschmidt-Rothschild and his wife occupied No. 145 from 1912.[7] The Central Voluntary Work Rooms of the British Red Cross were based at the house during World War I to coordinate the efforts of making garments for troops in the war.[8]
An auction of contents from the house was held on 4 October 1921 by Dowsett, Knight & Taylor.[9] The freehold of the house was held by the Crown Estate and the remaining 21 years of the lease were put up for tender in November 1921.[10] A 60-year lease was put up for sale in May 1922.[11] The Health and Empire Christmas Market was opened at the house by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll in 1922.[12] In 1924 the house was the headquarters of Lord Haig's British Legion Appeal Fund's "Poppy Day" (subsequently known as Remembrance Day).[13] In November 1924 Edward, Prince of Wales visited the house after visiting the Poppy Factory in St James's Road in Bermondsey.[14]
Duke and Duchess of York
The Duke and Duchess of York (subsequently
In her book
Later history
An exhibition of 'Royal and Historic Treasures' was held at the house from late June until the end of September 1939, in aid of the
The house was badly damaged during the London Blitz of World War II during an air raid on 7 October 1940.[2] In 1942 the ruins of the house became the site of an allotment run by the Girls' Training Corps under the leadership of Irene Astor, Baroness Astor of Hever.[19]
In 1939 it was put up for rent, with a rental period expiring in 1975.[20] The 1939 annual rent was estimated at £2,500 (equivalent to £164,898 in 2021).[20] The lease on No. 145 was bought by Alexander Korda of London Films in March 1947.[21] The adjoining house, No. 144 was the headquarters of the publicity department of London Films. Korda also leased No. 146 which he converted from a private house to offices.[21]
It was demolished in 1959 as part of the development of the roads at Hyde Park Corner.[1] In September 1969 the London Street Commune was established at the adjoining house, No. 144.[22] In 1969 142, 143, 144, and 145 Piccadilly were owned on a leasehold tenure by Amalgamated West End Developments, a subsidiary of the Stock Conversion and Investment Trust.[22] The InterContinental London Park Lane hotel was built in 1975 on the site of the house.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Stokes, Tim (9 September 2022). "Queen Elizabeth: The London homes that made a monarch". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ House and Garden. Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "143 Piccadilly and Hamilton Place Mews, Westminster, 1807–08". Sir John Soane's Museum Collections Online. Sir John Soane's Museum. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Deaths". The Times. No. 25018. 14 February 1845. p. 1. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Mr. Jacques Blumenthal's Annual Grande Matinee Musicale". The Times. No. 23328. 9 June 1859. p. 1. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Will of Mr. Hamar Bass". Tamworth Herald. 16 July 1898. p. 8. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 39873. 15 April 1912. p. 9.
- ^ "A Million Workers Wanted". The Times. No. 40979. 7 October 1915. p. 11.
- ^ "Sales By Auction". The Times. No. 42840. 1 October 1821. p. 1. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Auctioneers' And Estate Agents' Directory". The Times. No. 42878. 15 November 1921. p. 19. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Property Investments". The Times. No. 43043. 29 May 1922. p. 19. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Social Calendar". The Times. No. 43203. 1 December 1922. p. 15. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "News In Brief". The Times. No. 43777. 8 October 1924. p. 11. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 43804. 8 November 1924. p. 11. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ Longford, Elizabeth (30 May 1981). "The reluctant Queen". The Times. No. 60941. p. 6. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ McLeod, Kirsty (16 September 1985). "Toys fit for a royal nursery". The Times. No. 62244. p. 13. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "Royal Treasures". The Times. No. 48342. 27 June 1939. p. 12. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Queen Mary At No. 145, Piccadilly". The Times. No. 48353. 10 July 1939. p. 12. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Irene Lady Astor of Hever". The Times. No. 43777. 13 August 2001. p. 11. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ a b "News In Brief". The Times. No. 48202. 13 January 1939. p. 12. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ a b "The King's Former House Sold". The Times. No. 50718. 25 March 1947. p. 7. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Squatters invade 60-room house in Piccadilly". The Times. No. 57666. 16 September 1969. p. 2. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
External links
- Media related to 145 Piccadilly at Wikimedia Commons