PORTSMOUTH POST OFFICE
Stanhope Road
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Architect: Ernest Rivers Year: 1883 (1905 extension: architect William Oldrieve; 1912 additions and Telephone Exchange, architect Albert Myers) Archive sources National Archives: WORK 13/127; 13/513 Selected bibliographical references Portsmouth Evening News 25 Nov 1882, p. 2; 4 Aug 1903, p. 3; 1 Mar 1905, p. 5 History Demolished |
Building description
From: Portsmouth Evening News 25 November 1882, p. 2
As previously announced by us, the new Post office opposite the Landport railway-station, was officially inspected this week, but no decision has been come to in regard the furnishing. The building, our readers are aware, consists of two floors, and the exterior is the Italian school of architecture, or perhaps it would be more correct to call it the Tuscan. The materials used for the erection are red bricks, made by the contractors, Messrs. Stevens and Sons, of Southampton, and red Shawk stone. The whole of the timber used is teak. On the ground door the following offices are situated:- The public office, which with the exception of the space at the rear of the counter, is paved with York stone. The counter is on two sides of the office, and the ground space 26ft. by 30ft. Facing the principal entrance is the lobby and waiting room for orderlies from the various ships and regiments, and, the left, the Postmaster's office is situate. The sorting room, which is situate at the rear of the public office, 60ft. by 10ft. It has a glazed lantern roof supported by iron principals, and here it is intended that the whole of the sorting the Borough will be done. It approached by a doorway from behind the counter of the public office, and also provided with a doorway from the postmaster's room, but the entrance for the letter carriers will the Arcade on the south side of the building. At the back of the sorting office is the sorters' kitchen, which communicates with a paved forecourt, containing the usual offices. At the extreme rear is the boiler room, it being proposed to heat the sorting room by steam, though the remainder the building will be warmed by stoves. Great attention seems to have been paid to the subject of ventilation, no less than eight ventilators being fixed in the sorting room, and half that number in the public office. Tbe first floor is approached by a York stone staircase. The large room on the north side of the first floor is to be the instrument room for telegraphists is 24ft, by 14ft. and here the fast Wheatstone will be placed. This instrument records telegrams at the rate of 280 words a minute, and its introduction into Landport has been rendered necessary by the very large and ever increasing number of telegrams received by the Evening News. The office will not, however, the main office for private telegrams, which will situated either at Portsea as at present, but a suggestion has made that it shall removed to the present head office. There are also on the ground floor store rooms for telegraphic and postal' purposes, and a boys' waiting room. It was originally proposed have a resident caretaker but that plan has been altered, and in case female operators are engaged in the telegraphic department, this room will be devoted to their accommodation. The building has been constructed from the drawings of Mr. E. G. Rivers, of Her Majesty's Department of Public Works. The public having been much exercised as to know how the mails are to received into the building, we are able to state that the land on the north side of the building has been purchased, but no definite arrangement has been made as to its means of utilization. It is settled that there shall be a carriage way, and that is all, but the department have not decided as to the class of building to be erected they must any future building provide special accommodation for the parcels post. It has been suggested that a corrugated iron building should put up but for many reasons that would be undesirable, if even the Town Council, who have authority to prevent it, would allow of it. Besides this, nature of the goods to be received and despatched would occasionally of dangerous nature, notwithstanding every precaution that the department might take, and the erection of such a building would always be a standing menace.
From: Portsmouth Evening News 4 August 1903, p. 3
For a long time past the Postal Authorities have recognised the fact that the present Central Post Office, opposite the Town Station, is inadequate to deal with the constantly increasing amount of business, and year or so ago it was determined to make some extensive additions to the present structure. The Director of Works was instructed prepare plans for the enlargement of the building, and the work, which was put out to contract, was secured by a local builder, in the person of Mr S. Salter, of St. Paul's-road, Southsea, whose men have now started operations. The extensions, as previously mentioned, are of very extensive character. A new building is to be constructed on the Post Office land in Stanhope-road, at the rear of the present structure, and this will occupy 160 feet of frontage, while another is to be added above the present "face floor" of the building in Commercial-road, this having been specially constructed in order to allow for the addition when the requirements of the town should render it necessary. When once the work is accomplished the Portsmouth Post Office, instead of being at present a cramped and incommodious structure, will be a large and comfortable building, with plenty of room both for the employees and the public. On the ground floor provision is being made for new parcel office, a loading shed, a boys' kitchen and stores, a postmen's kitchen, lavatories, coal and coke stores, etc. On the face floor of the present building there will dining-room for the officials, a retiring room for the Superintendent, a boys' institute, stores, and, together with telephone room, telegraph learners' room, office for the Telegraph Superintendent, and other rooms. The new building will be constructed in harmony with the present erection, and will be built of Rowland's Castle bricks with Shawk's stone facings. Its appearance will be massive and decidedly effective, while the employees, whose comfort has been studied every way, will have every facility for carrying out their work with the greatest despatch. At present, times pressure, tho bnsiness of the Post Office is only carried on with much difficulty owing lack of space; indeed, each Christmastide the difficulty becomes acute. When the new building is complete, however, Portsmouth will have as fine a Post Office as any town on the South Coast.
From: Portsmouth Evening News 25 November 1882, p. 2
As previously announced by us, the new Post office opposite the Landport railway-station, was officially inspected this week, but no decision has been come to in regard the furnishing. The building, our readers are aware, consists of two floors, and the exterior is the Italian school of architecture, or perhaps it would be more correct to call it the Tuscan. The materials used for the erection are red bricks, made by the contractors, Messrs. Stevens and Sons, of Southampton, and red Shawk stone. The whole of the timber used is teak. On the ground door the following offices are situated:- The public office, which with the exception of the space at the rear of the counter, is paved with York stone. The counter is on two sides of the office, and the ground space 26ft. by 30ft. Facing the principal entrance is the lobby and waiting room for orderlies from the various ships and regiments, and, the left, the Postmaster's office is situate. The sorting room, which is situate at the rear of the public office, 60ft. by 10ft. It has a glazed lantern roof supported by iron principals, and here it is intended that the whole of the sorting the Borough will be done. It approached by a doorway from behind the counter of the public office, and also provided with a doorway from the postmaster's room, but the entrance for the letter carriers will the Arcade on the south side of the building. At the back of the sorting office is the sorters' kitchen, which communicates with a paved forecourt, containing the usual offices. At the extreme rear is the boiler room, it being proposed to heat the sorting room by steam, though the remainder the building will be warmed by stoves. Great attention seems to have been paid to the subject of ventilation, no less than eight ventilators being fixed in the sorting room, and half that number in the public office. Tbe first floor is approached by a York stone staircase. The large room on the north side of the first floor is to be the instrument room for telegraphists is 24ft, by 14ft. and here the fast Wheatstone will be placed. This instrument records telegrams at the rate of 280 words a minute, and its introduction into Landport has been rendered necessary by the very large and ever increasing number of telegrams received by the Evening News. The office will not, however, the main office for private telegrams, which will situated either at Portsea as at present, but a suggestion has made that it shall removed to the present head office. There are also on the ground floor store rooms for telegraphic and postal' purposes, and a boys' waiting room. It was originally proposed have a resident caretaker but that plan has been altered, and in case female operators are engaged in the telegraphic department, this room will be devoted to their accommodation. The building has been constructed from the drawings of Mr. E. G. Rivers, of Her Majesty's Department of Public Works. The public having been much exercised as to know how the mails are to received into the building, we are able to state that the land on the north side of the building has been purchased, but no definite arrangement has been made as to its means of utilization. It is settled that there shall be a carriage way, and that is all, but the department have not decided as to the class of building to be erected they must any future building provide special accommodation for the parcels post. It has been suggested that a corrugated iron building should put up but for many reasons that would be undesirable, if even the Town Council, who have authority to prevent it, would allow of it. Besides this, nature of the goods to be received and despatched would occasionally of dangerous nature, notwithstanding every precaution that the department might take, and the erection of such a building would always be a standing menace.
From: Portsmouth Evening News 4 August 1903, p. 3
For a long time past the Postal Authorities have recognised the fact that the present Central Post Office, opposite the Town Station, is inadequate to deal with the constantly increasing amount of business, and year or so ago it was determined to make some extensive additions to the present structure. The Director of Works was instructed prepare plans for the enlargement of the building, and the work, which was put out to contract, was secured by a local builder, in the person of Mr S. Salter, of St. Paul's-road, Southsea, whose men have now started operations. The extensions, as previously mentioned, are of very extensive character. A new building is to be constructed on the Post Office land in Stanhope-road, at the rear of the present structure, and this will occupy 160 feet of frontage, while another is to be added above the present "face floor" of the building in Commercial-road, this having been specially constructed in order to allow for the addition when the requirements of the town should render it necessary. When once the work is accomplished the Portsmouth Post Office, instead of being at present a cramped and incommodious structure, will be a large and comfortable building, with plenty of room both for the employees and the public. On the ground floor provision is being made for new parcel office, a loading shed, a boys' kitchen and stores, a postmen's kitchen, lavatories, coal and coke stores, etc. On the face floor of the present building there will dining-room for the officials, a retiring room for the Superintendent, a boys' institute, stores, and, together with telephone room, telegraph learners' room, office for the Telegraph Superintendent, and other rooms. The new building will be constructed in harmony with the present erection, and will be built of Rowland's Castle bricks with Shawk's stone facings. Its appearance will be massive and decidedly effective, while the employees, whose comfort has been studied every way, will have every facility for carrying out their work with the greatest despatch. At present, times pressure, tho bnsiness of the Post Office is only carried on with much difficulty owing lack of space; indeed, each Christmastide the difficulty becomes acute. When the new building is complete, however, Portsmouth will have as fine a Post Office as any town on the South Coast.
