Church of the Messiah, Birmingham, Victorian church building in Birmingham, England
The Church of the Messiah was a Gothic church building on Broad Street in Birmingham, built over the Birmingham Canal. It could seat around 950 people and was fitted with a large pipe organ in the nave.
The congregation traces back to a chapel on Moor Street that served it from 1732, before growth made a larger site necessary. The new church was designed by architect John Jones Bateman and completed in 1862, serving the community for over a century until a move to a new site in 1973.
The congregation that gathered here was closely tied to some of Birmingham's most prominent families, including the Chamberlains and the Martineaus. Their presence gave this place a social weight that went well beyond Sunday worship.
The building no longer exists and can only be studied through historical records and photographs. Those curious about its location can visit Broad Street, but nothing of the original structure remains to be seen on the ground.
The church was built directly over the Birmingham Canal, which was an uncommon choice for a building of its size and purpose. The organ installed in 1882 by William Hill and Son was considered one of the finest instruments of its kind in the region at the time.
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