LIVERPOOL POST OFFICE
Victoria Street
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Architect: Henry Tanner Year: 1899 Archive sources British Postal Museum & Archive: POST 30/644, 660, 672B; 91/1317-1330, 1401-1409, 1654-1655, 1658, 1667-1671,1687, 1770-1773, 1780-1784; 118/83-84, 1383-1384,1525, 5225-5226, 5228 Merseyside Maritime Museum: Bale collection 41206-1 RIBA British Architectural Library Photographs Collection: A354/32 Selected bibliographical references Builder 29 Jul 1899, p. 104, 138 Builders' Journal and Architectural Record 26 Jul 1899, p. 378 Building News 27 Oct 1895; 24 Nov 1895; 15 Dec 1895 (illustrations); 21 Jul 1899, p. 63 (description) History Before the opening of the Victoria Street building the Liverpool's Head Post was located in the Custom House, Canning Dock. The Custom House was built between 1828 and 1939 by Liverpool city architect John Foster. It suffered substantial war damage in May 1941, and demolished in 1948. In the National Archives there are two contract drawings made in 1850-1851 by the architect James Pennethorne of additions to the post office (WORK 30/820). The Victoria Street post office suffered severe damage in 1941: as a result the upper floors were removed, and the site (with the ground floor facade retained) eventually redeveloped into the Metquarter. Opened: 19 Jul 1899 Closed Current use: Shopping centre |
Building description
From: The Building News 21 July 1899, p. 63
The new Post-office in Victoria-street was opened on Wednesday by the Duke of York. The building has a frontage to Victoria-street of 226ft., to St. Thomas-street of 254ft, to Stanley-street of 260ft, and has a yard comprising 103ft. square. The site covers nearly two acres of ground. In front of the second-floor there are four figures representing England and Scotland and Ireland and Wales, the two pairs standing hand-in-hand. There are ten smaller figures representing colonies. Below there are figures typifying Commerce and Industry, and Electricity and Engineering. The total cost of the site, including premises in Cumberland-street and Whitechapel, will be about £200,000, and another £100,000, or thereabouts will be required for building purposes, and for supplying fittings, engines, electric-light wires, and pneumatic tubes. The building is considered absolutely proof against fire, very little woodwork being used, except in the way of furniture and fittings. The new buildings contain the following offices: Public, sorting, packet, parcel and registered - letter offices, telephone-room, telegraph-instrument room, yard, bag and basket-room, and telegraph messengers' and delivery room. On the second floor are the scullery, kitchen, and carving, serving and dining-rooms, the latter measuring 30ft. by 73ft, and having seats made for 190 persons. The walls of these rooms, and of all the staircases and retiring-rooms, are of white glazed bricks, with dado of dark tiles. The inner vestibule and the postmaster's staircase, inside the west door in Victoria-street, are of Hopton Wood Marble. The doors are of teak, and the public office counter of sabicu (a hard Cuban wood), the other fittings being of mahogany. The carving in front of the new office was designed and executed by Mr Edwin [sic] Owen Griffith, of 77, Kitchen Street, Liverpool. Mr Henry Tanner, chief surveyor of H.M. Office of Works, was the architect; and the principal contractors were - for buildings, Messrs. Thornton and Sons, [38] Wellington Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool; glazed bricks, Mr. [Henry] Dennis of Ruabon; sanitary appliances, Messrs. Doulton and Co., of London ...
From: The Building News 21 July 1899, p. 63
The new Post-office in Victoria-street was opened on Wednesday by the Duke of York. The building has a frontage to Victoria-street of 226ft., to St. Thomas-street of 254ft, to Stanley-street of 260ft, and has a yard comprising 103ft. square. The site covers nearly two acres of ground. In front of the second-floor there are four figures representing England and Scotland and Ireland and Wales, the two pairs standing hand-in-hand. There are ten smaller figures representing colonies. Below there are figures typifying Commerce and Industry, and Electricity and Engineering. The total cost of the site, including premises in Cumberland-street and Whitechapel, will be about £200,000, and another £100,000, or thereabouts will be required for building purposes, and for supplying fittings, engines, electric-light wires, and pneumatic tubes. The building is considered absolutely proof against fire, very little woodwork being used, except in the way of furniture and fittings. The new buildings contain the following offices: Public, sorting, packet, parcel and registered - letter offices, telephone-room, telegraph-instrument room, yard, bag and basket-room, and telegraph messengers' and delivery room. On the second floor are the scullery, kitchen, and carving, serving and dining-rooms, the latter measuring 30ft. by 73ft, and having seats made for 190 persons. The walls of these rooms, and of all the staircases and retiring-rooms, are of white glazed bricks, with dado of dark tiles. The inner vestibule and the postmaster's staircase, inside the west door in Victoria-street, are of Hopton Wood Marble. The doors are of teak, and the public office counter of sabicu (a hard Cuban wood), the other fittings being of mahogany. The carving in front of the new office was designed and executed by Mr Edwin [sic] Owen Griffith, of 77, Kitchen Street, Liverpool. Mr Henry Tanner, chief surveyor of H.M. Office of Works, was the architect; and the principal contractors were - for buildings, Messrs. Thornton and Sons, [38] Wellington Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool; glazed bricks, Mr. [Henry] Dennis of Ruabon; sanitary appliances, Messrs. Doulton and Co., of London ...
