| Rookery House | |
|---|---|
 The building in 2011 | |
| Location | Wilberforce Way, Erdington |
| Coordinates | 52°31′03″N 1°50′05″W / 52.5175°N 1.8348°W |
| Built | 1727 |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassical style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | House in Rookery Park, Rookery Park, Handsworth |
| Designated | 7 July 1982 |
| Reference no. | 1076201 |
  Shown in West Midlands | |
Rookery House, formerly Erdington Town Hall and, before that, Birches Green House, is a former municipal building in Wilberforce Way in Erdington, a suburb of Birmingham in England. The house, which started life as a private residence, became the headquarters of Erdington Urban District Council and was then returned to residential use, is a Grade II listed building.[1]
History[edit]
The building was commissioned by Abraham Spooner, an ironmaster who was the proprietor of Bromford Forge and Aston Furnace.[2] The site he selected in Birches Green was occupied by an earlier timber-framed house.[3] Originally known as Birches Green House, the new building was designed in the neoclassical style, built in brick with a stucco finish and was completed in 1727.[4][5]
Abraham's son, Isaac, who was a banker, inherited the house in 1788, and Isaac's son, Richard, was born there and went on to be a member of parliament.[6] After Abraham's granddaughter, Barbara, married the anti-slavery campaigner, William Wilberforce, in May 1797, the house became their home.[7] The house was remodelled in the early 19th century.[1] The glass manufacturer, Brueton Gibbons, who installed plate glass doors in the house, lived there from 1816 and the pencil-case manufacturer, William Wiley, lived there from 1871.[6]
Following significant population growth, largely associated with residential development, a local board of health was formed in the Aston Parish area in 1869.[8] After the local board of health was succeeded, in that part of the parish, by Erdington Urban District Council in 1894,[9] the new council began using the building as its headquarters.[10] The building remained the local seat of government until the area was annexed by Birmingham City Council in 1911.[11]
The council continued to use the building, latterly as a social services office, until 2008.[7][12] It subsequently fell into poor repair and the council declared it surplus to requirements.[13] It was sold it to a developer, Cameron Homes, in 2017,[14] and construction work, to convert the building into 15 residential apartments, started in 2019.[15][16]
Architecture[edit]
The three-storey building is constructed of brick, covered in stucco, with a slate roof. It is seven bays wide, with the central section of three bays slightly recessed. There is an off-centre entrance, in a porch formed by Doric order columns supporting an entablature and a cornice. The building is fenestrated by sash windows. There are various extensions, including a two-bay single storey addition to the right of the original building. It has been grade II listed since 1982.[1][17]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Historic England. "House in Rookery Park, Rookery Park, Handsworth (1076201)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Elmden Hall, Warwickshire". Lost Heritage. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ Chinn, Carl (2003). Birmingham Bibliography of a City. University of Birmingham Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-1902459240.
Rookery House, Erdington (1725–1730 replacing and, to some extent, mimicking an earlier timber-framed hall-house)
- ^ "History". Rookery House. Archived from the original on 12 August 2013.
- ^ Homer, Andrew (2019). Historic England: Birmingham Unique Images from the Archives of Historic England. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1445691145.
- ^ a b Dargue, William. "A History of Birmingham: Erdington". Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ a b Elkes, Neil (6 March 2013). "Erdington's historic Rookery House 'too costly to maintain'". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Aston Local History". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Erdington UD". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Erdington Local History". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ Chinn, Carl Steven Alfred (1986). "The Anatomy of a Working Class Neighbourhood: West Sparkbrook 1871 to 1914" (PDF). University of Birmingham. p. 2. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Rookery House in Erdington set to be saved". Business Live. 28 October 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Historic Rookery House in Erdington to be put up for sale by Birmingham City Council". Business Live. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ Elkes, Neil (10 July 2017). "Historic Erdington home with anti-slavery links to be restored as flats". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Rookery House". Abode Affiliates. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Work starts on £11m historic house project". The Business Desk. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ Franklin, J. (2019). "Rookery House, Erdington, Birmingham". Warwick: Archaeology Warwickshire. Retrieved 29 April 2024.