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The
Bakers - the
family who 'built' Fenton:
Fenton Town Hall
At the beginning of 1886 William
Meath Baker offered to build a new town hall for Fenton. In April
1888 he submitted plans to Fenton Local Board of Health for three
new streets which were subsequently names Station Street, Baker
Street and Gimson Street.
| William Meath
Baker was the only son of Revd. Ralph Bourne Baker. |
| Revd. Ralph
Bourne Baker was the brother of William Baker III who
left all his estates to him on his death in 1865. |
| William Meath
Baker continued the family tradition of public benefaction. He
built Fenton town hall at his own expense. |
The new town hall lay at the centre of the new
development.
It was a large two storied building of red brick with
stone dressings, designed in a combination of late Gothic and Tudor
styles by Robert Scrivener & Sons. The main block of six bays has a
small central gable and is flanked by lower gabled side wings with
oriel windows to the upper floors.
The area in front of the town hail was laid out as a square.
Unknown arms on Fenton Town Hall
(perhaps those of William Meath Baker)
On
the right wing the arms have a shield charged with two goats,
a spread-eagle and three unidentifiable objects (possible pots),
the crest is also a goat, the motto is 'ABS BONA VIOLENTA'.
old postcard of Fenton Town Hall
the spire was removed at some stage as it was unsafe.
Commercial buildings in Church Street
(now Christchurch Street)
William Meath Baker constructed a
range of commercial buildings leading from the High Street (now City
Road) to the new square laid out in front of the town hall.
A range of three story shops, the
largest retail premises in Fenton
- known as 'The Arcade'
further view of the shops -
Christchuch can be seen at the far right
on the corner of Church Street and
Baker Street
the new premises for Lloyds bank
The
new public library
Behind the new town hall William Meath
Baker provided land for a new public library.
The library
in Baker Street
the library was paid for by a donation from
the Carnegie Trust
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