Handbook of Birmingham: Prepared for the Members of the British Association, 1886British Association for the Advancement of Science
History
Handbook of Birmingham: Prepared for the Members of the British Association, 1886
British Association for the Advancement of Science
Birmingham (England); Natural history -- England -- Birmingham
To describe properly the Educational Buildings of the town would
require a volume; a few only of the principal ones can be noticed.
The Grammar School, the oldest of them, has already been referred
to. The Mason College, founded by the late Sir Josiah Mason, is a
fine building of brick and stone in Edmund street, the first stone of
which was laid in 1875, and the building opened in October, 1880. This
institution comprises large and complete Laboratories for Chemistry,
Physics, Physiology, Botany, and Engineering; four Lecture Theatres,
and a very great number of class and other rooms of all sizes, suited
to their varied requirements, the whole covering an area of about 2,500
square yards. The style of Architecture is that of the 13th century.
The principal front in Edmund Street, of about 150 feet in length,
is symmetrically arranged with a lofty centre and gabled side wings.
The principal entrance in the middle of the front is a very large and
deeply recessed moulded and shafted archway opening to a fine groined
vestibule, the cross passages leading from which are also groined in
stone. Over the entrance is a lofty double oriel beneath a gable,
the terminal of which is a mermaid (the crest of Sir Josiah Mason),
122 feet from the pavement. The cost was about £60,000, including
the elaborate and costly fittings of the laboratories. The whole of
the buildings and fittings were designed by Mr. Jethro A. Cossins,
Architect, of Birmingham.
THE BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND INSTITUTE and the FREE LIBRARIES form one
united group. The Institute buildings, by Mr. Edward Barry, were opened
in 1856 by the Prince Consort. The completion of the design to receive
the Reference and Lending Libraries was carried out by Messrs. Martin
and Chamberlain; the whole has since been largely added to, the Lending
and Reference Libraries have been rebuilt, and a new wing erected in
Paradise Street, by the same architects.
THE SCHOOL OF ART, also by Martin & Chamberlain, in Edmund Street, is
in the very original modern Gothic style, almost created by the late J.
H. Chamberlain, and practised with such great success by the firm to
which he belonged. The School is perhaps the finest of their works, and
possesses a rare grace and refinement in every detail. The arrangements
for the convenience of masters and students are also excellent.
BOARD SCHOOLS.--Since the passing of the Elementary Education Act, in
1870, about thirty large Board Schools have been erected in the town,
most of them by Messrs. Martin and Chamberlain, they are nearly all of
great excellence and are ornaments to the town.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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