Building   

Blind Veterans UK

Categories: Education, Social Welfare

This charity was founded at the start of WW1 by Arthur Pearson, the newspaper magnate who became blind in later life, as The Blinded Soldiers' and Sailors' Care Committee. February 1915 it opened the Blinded Soldiers and Sailors Hostel at 6 Bayswater Hill, the house having been lent by Mrs Lewis Hall, but this was too small to be anything other than a temporary arrangement.

From British History On-line "St. Petersburgh House, no. 8 Bayswater Hill, was the home of the conveyancer Lewis Duval (1774-1844) and then of his niece's husband the Vice-Chancellor Sir Charles Hall (1814-83). .... The site of nos. 6 to 8 Bayswater Hill was advertised as suitable for high-class flats or a hotel in 1912."

The American philanthropist Otto Kahn (1867-1934) offered his house in Regent's Park, St Dunstan's Lodge, and the charity moved in on 26 March 1915. It was renamed as St Dunstan's Hostel for Blinded Soldiers and Sailors. 1916 Pearson was knighted for his services to the blind, and became the 1st Baronet of St Dunstan's. The operation quickly expanded into a nearby property and to premises in other British towns.

When, in 1920 Otto Kahn requested the return of his house, the operation was moved to St John's Lodge, also in Regent's Park, which had been used as a hospital since 1917. Various other sites were used but the HQ remained at St John's Lodge, which received some bomb damage in WW2, by which time the charity was called simply St Dunstan's. In 1948 St Dunstan's headquarters moved to 191 Old Marylebone Road and then in 1984 to 12-14 Harcourt Street. 2012 the name changed from St Dunstan's to Blind Veterans UK.

Information from the magnificent Lost Hospitals of London.

St Dunstan's Lodge was designed as Hertford Villa by Decimus Burton as part of John Nash's design for the Park. In 1830, when Lord Hertford acquired the clock from St Dunstan in the West (which was being demolished) the house also acquired a new name. Damaged by fire in 1936 it was demolished. The new house on the site was named Winfield House (for the Woolworth lineage of the owner). The Daily Mail (with lots of photos) informs: "It was built by the famous American socialite Barbara Hutton in the 1930s. She was dubbed the 'poor little rich girl' because of her troubled life and lived there for a period with her husband Cary Grant." In 1955 it became the US ambassador's official residence, which it still (2018) is.

St John's Lodge was designed by  John Raffield and built in 1812, the first house built in Regents Park, and is now one of only two of the villas remaining from John Nash's original plan. The adjoining gardens (which are lovely) have been open to the public since 1928. Since 1994 the house has been leased by the royal family of Brunei. It lies to the north of the Inner Circle.

Notes on Otto Kahn: he was in London c.1888-93, but maybe he frequently returned for he appears to have kept a home here. The New York Times, 8 October 1912, reported: "Otto H. Kahn's recent purchase of Mrs. Maldwin Drummond's London house, 2 Carlton House Terrace, announced ... on Sept. 26, had an unlooked-for sequel to-day, when it became known that the house was in the market for resale and that Mr. Kahn had taken the Earl of Londesborough's town house, St. Dunstan's, Regent's Park, for a year."  Also, we wonder if his widow was the Mrs Kahn involved with the Elfin Oak?

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Blind Veterans UK

Commemorated ati

Blind Veterans UK

Site of Blind Veterans UK's first training centre. The charity was located he...

Read More

Sir Arthur Pearson

Sir Arthur Pearson 1866 - 1921 Founder of St Dunstan's (Blind Veterans UK) li...

Read More

St John's Lodge Garden

{Below a drawing which shows the layout of the garden:} St John's Lodge was c...

Read More

Other Subjects

The Round School

The Round School

It was the principal elementary school in Wimbledon Village, run as a charity school for poor children. Amongst its trustees was William Wilberforce who lived locally. Lord Nelson also donated mone...

Building, Education

1 memorial
Pioneer Health Centre

Pioneer Health Centre

Founded by doctors George Scott Williamson and Innes Pearse as an integral part of  the 'Peckham Experiment', the area being chosen because of its deprivation. Nine hundred and fifty local families...

Building, Community / Clubs, Education

1 memorial
Since 9/11

Since 9/11

Since 9/11 is a UK educational charity which was set up on the tenth anniversary of September 11th 2001 to ensure that the legacy of 9/11 is one that builds hope from tragedy.

Group, Education, Tragedy

1 memorial
Robert Raikes

Robert Raikes

Promoter of the Sunday School movement. Born and died Gloucester.

Person, Education, Religion

1 memorial
One Tun Ragged School

One Tun Ragged School

The One Tun pub in Perkins Rents was in the infamous area known as the Devil's Acre. The whole area was disrupted and much of it demolished to construct Victoria Street, which opened for use in 185...

Group, Education

1 memorial

Previously viewed

George Gissing

George Gissing

Goerge Robert Gissing. Novelist, best known for ‘New Grub Street’ about the hack writers who were concentrated in Grub Street, EC2. In 1830 Grub Street was renamed Milton Street; in WW2 it was badl...

Person, Literature, France

3 memorials
Thos. Elworthy

Thos. Elworthy

Resident of the Central Ward, Hendon who served and died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Raphael

Raphael

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino. Painter and architect.

Person, Art, Italy

4 memorials
Chiswick war memorial - Burlington Lane

Chiswick war memorial - Burlington Lane

W4, Burlington Lane

{Main monument:} Chiswick memorial of the Great War 1914 1918 Homes of rest for Chiswick disabled men of His Majesty's forces and their f...

3 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
World War 1

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came along at which point it was renamed as World War One or the First World War. But the term was first used in print in 1920...

Event, Armed Forces, Tragedy

402 memorials