Plaque

Caxton Hall - foundation stone

Erection date: 29/3/1882

Inscription

The Town Hall Westminster
This foundation stone was laid March 29th 1882 by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, youngest daughter of the late Sir Francis Burdett Bart., member of Parliament for this City.
John Harris - Clerk to Vestry and District Board of Works
Lee & Smith - architects
W. & D. McGregor - builders

Site: Caxton Hall (12 memorials)

SW1, Caxton Street, 10, Caxton Hall

The foundation stone is low down at the right hand side of the building. Above each of the two statues is a bust, both of the Greek god variety rather than any particular mortal.

The 8 terracotta portraits, numbered left to right, are above the ground floor windows. We have identified 4 with varying degrees of confidence and we think the others probably include: John Locke, Isaac Newton, John Wesley. But with only hair style, facial hair and collars to go on it's just a guessing game. Have a go, bearing in mind that you are looking for men considered laudable in 1882. And dead - we don't think living men were ever honoured in this way.

Sorry our photos are not too good, but then, we have to say, the terracotta portraits are not the best quality themselves, though not as bad as this one.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Caxton Hall - foundation stone

Subjects commemorated i

Caxton Hall

Originally designed as the Westminster City Hall. It was associated with the ...

Read More

William Lee and F. J. Smith

Architects active in 1882.

Read More

W. & D. McGregor

Builders active in 1882.

Read More

Sir Francis Burdett

Born Derbyshire. Inherited the baronetcy from his grandfather. Married an hei...

Read More

John Harris

Clerk to Vestry and District Board of Works, Westminster, 1882.

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Caxton Hall - foundation stone

Created by i

Baroness Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts

One of the great Victorian philanthropists who sought to rid London of its sl...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Caxton Hall - foundation stone

Also at this site i

Caxton Hall - head 1 - Milton

Caxton Hall - head 1 - Milton

But look at head 8 too, that's also a candidate for Milton.

Read More

Caxton Hall - head 2 - Caxton

Caxton Hall - head 2 - Caxton

Normally both Chaucer and Caxton are shown with full beards but the facial ha...

Read More

Caxton Hall - head 4 - unidentified

Caxton Hall - head 4 - unidentified

Possibly John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester. His hat is spot on (possibly sta...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Thomas Wall - Blythewood

Thomas Wall - Blythewood

SM2, Worcester Road, 12

The plaque made us think initially that the land used for the football club was adjacent to the Sutton Adult School (now the Thomas Wall ...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
The Mothers Arms

The Mothers Arms

E2, Old Ford Road, Tait Court

We chickened out of deciding where to put the apostrophe in 'Mothers'.

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Church House - WC2

Church House - WC2

WC2, Burleigh Street, 14

2018: The Telegraph included this little gem in their Unsung buildings that bring Victorian London to life. They write: "It was built by ...

1 subject commemorated
Lavender Pumphouse

Lavender Pumphouse

SE16, Lavender Street

Lavender Pumphouse This was constructed by the Port of London Authority in 1930 to maintain the water level in the old Surrey Commercial ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
WB Yeats - NW1

WB Yeats - NW1

NW1, Fitzroy Road, 23

2019: The SundayGuardianLive quoted from Malcolm Gladwell’s book 'Talking to Strangers': "In the fall of 1962, the American poet Sylvia P...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator