Following the
Second World War, extensive re-building of the Temple took place and it was inaugurated in 1955. A stone plaque,
on the front of the building, tells us:
This stone which was unveiled by
The Rt Hon The
Lord Mayor of London
Alderman Sir Seymour Howard
16 April
1955
Commemorates the inauguration of the
rebuilding of the City
Temple
after its destruction by enemy action
16 April
1941
The City Temple was rededicated in
1958 with a further stone plaque being unveiled:
This stone was unveiled by
Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Commemorates the rededication
of the City
Temple to
the Glory of God
30 October 1958
An inscription, cut into a stone pillar
to the west side of the Temple, reads:
The City
Temple
Memorial stone laid by
Rev Thomas Binney LLD
19th May
1873
Opened 19th May 1974
The Temple's website [visit link] tells
us:
"City Temple, a historic Free Church
on the western edge of the City of London, has its roots in the Protestant
Reformation of the 16th century. The traditional date of the founding of the
church is 1640. However, some evidence suggests that the church could have begun
as early as the 1560s. Puritans, who became known as Non-Conformists, because
they refused to conform with the Book of Common Prayer, campaigned for the
reform of the Church of England. They wanted the freedom to worship God in
accordance with the Bible and the leading of their own consciences. It is the
only Free Church in the City of London worshipping in its own building,
regularly every Sunday.
CT has had a succession of famous
ministers, from the Puritan Thomas Goodwin, chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, to the
great Victorian preacher, Joseph Parker, and Leslie Weatherhead who led the
church from 1936-1960.
City Temple was built on Holborn
Viaduct in 1874 and developed as a classic city-centre 'preaching station'. It's
grand design, layout and worship epitomised the metropolitan 'gathered church'
model. This model thrived even after the Second World War, when the church was
rebuilt and opened for worship in 1958, after having suffered bomb damage, and
the 900-seat sanctuary was regularly filled to overflowing.
Following Weatherhead's ministry the
congregation had been in numerical decline, but in recent years the church has
become a growing, international fellowship, incorporating over 20 nationalities
and enjoying a contemporary and charismatic worship style. It is committed to
the City of London and its surrounding areas, continuing to cherish its history,
but looking forward into the future that God has for it."
The building is Grade II listed with the
entry at the English Heritage website [visit
link] telling us:
"1873, by H F Lockwood, all but the
north front and south-west corner rebuilt by Seely and Paget following war
damage. Honey coloured stone. The north front has central 2 storeyed Palladian
distyle portico in antis, with Corinthian order superimposed on Tuscan, and
pedimented entablature with sculptured tympanum The flanking bays have
channelled ground floor with vermiculated voussoirs to round-headed windows, and
1st floor with aedicular windows and crowning cornice. The right hand bay
carries a lofty 2 stage tower, the lower stage having a Corinthian order of
square corner columns coupled with half columns flanking round headed windows;
the entablature including a frieze carved with wreaths and swags, the upper
stage having diagonally projecting coupled Composite columns flanking round
headed windows and supporting an octagonal drum surmounted by a copper cupola
with gilded cross."