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R E A D IN G

D IR E C T O R Y — 1 9 1 4

Curzon street in 1640, rem oved to H ozier street in 1752 and to its present
site in 1834, and was enlarged in 1858 and 1890 ; in 1901 the chapel was
installed w ith electric ligh t ; the principal W esleya n ch apel is in Queen's
road. G rovelands B aptist chapel, at the ju n ction o f W ilson road and
O xford road, is a buildin g of b rick and terra cotta , capable of sta tin g 450
persons. T he P rim itive M ethodist chapel, in Lon don street, was built
in 1866, and w ill seat 900 persons.
In M arch , 1906, a W esleya n
m ission hall was opened in W h itley street at a cost, in cluding the site,
of £6,846.
The H ebrew Synagogue was opened in N ovem b er. 1900, b y the late
L ord Sw ayth lin g, and consecrated by the late V e ry R ev . Dr. H erm ann
Adler L L /D . C h ief R abbi, and Dr. H erm ann G ollancz M .A ., D .L it.
The buildin g, o f w hich the principal entrance is in G old sm id road.
R'ussell street, is o f b rick and stone in the M oresque style, and has
a dom ed flèche on the roof. T h e in terior has a beautiful effect,
heightened b y stained glass w in dow s ; the seats are o f polish ed oak,
w hile the design o f T h e A rk is in w hite, on the east side o f w hich
are the w ardens’ pew s ; it has since been registered as a place o f w orsh ip
and licensed to solem nize m arriages.
R eadin g C em etery, situated at the junction o f the L ondon and W o k in g ­
ham roads, established in 1842, under the provisions o f the A c t 5 and 6
V iet. c. C IX . occupies 12 acres o f land, 8 of w hich are con secrated, and
the rem ainder a ppropriated to dissenters ; it has tw o m ortu ary chapels
and a residence for the curator.
The m unicipal buildings, w hich include the T ow n H a ll, Council
C ham ber and other m unicipal offices, P u b lic L ib ra ry , M useum s and A rt
G alleries, are situated in F riar street, B lagrave street and V a lp y street,
and form a p ile o f black and red brick, w ith a clock tow er, in the G oth ic
style, the municipal buildings proper having been erected in 1875,
from design s b y A lfred W aterhouse esq. R .A . and the rem aining
portion (begun in 1879) com pleted and open ed M a y 31, 1882, from the
designs o f Thom as Lainson esq. o f B righ ton . T h e n iche in the gable
ov e r the lib ra ry is filled w ith a m arble statue o f H er M a jesty
Queen V icto ria , presented b y the late W illia m Isaac P alm er esq. of
G razeley Court.
The principal entrance in B la gra ve street leads to
the main corrid or or vestibule, 15ft. w ide by 79ft. lon g at the
north end o f w hich is a memorial stone, record in g on an attached
brass plate the foundation of the structure. T h e G reat H a ll, 60ft. w ide,
37ft. long and 50 ft. high, is entered on th e w est side b y five large d o o r­
w ays, and w ill hold 1,500 persons. T h e orch estra is p la ced at the east
end o f the hall, and contains an organ presented b y the R ea din g P h il­
harm onic S ociety. T he hall has balconies round th e n orth , sou th and
w est sides, and its w alls are div id ed in to pan els b y fluted pilasters, w ith
m oulded bases and gilt ca p ita ls; ov er this is an en rich ed frieze, and
a b ove a heavy' corn ice, from w h ich sprin g the ornam ental ribs o f the
ceilin g ; beneath the hall is a supper room w ith retirin g room s. On the
w alls o f the Council cham ber and in oth er parts o f the b uildin gs are
portraits o f M r. R ichard A ld w orth , foun der o f the Blue C oat school ; Sir
Th om as W h ite , L ord M a yor o f L on don in 1553, born at R ea d in g in
1 4 9 2 ; Sir Thom as R ich hart, o f Son nin g, ob. 13 O ct. 1 6 6 7 ; A rch b ish op
Laud, executed 10 Jan. 1645; W . Stephens esq. H igh S h e iilf ; M r. John
K e n d rick , a local ben efa ctor, ob. 1624 ; and Sir T h om a s N oon T a lfou rd