Whitefield's Tabernacle, Tottenham Court Road
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Whitefield's Tabernacle, Tottenham Court Road
, a church in London
, England; also called Tottenham Court Road Chapel, was built in 1756 for George Whitefield
. It was enlarged in 1759. John Wesley
preached a sermon "On the death of the Rev Mr George Whitefield" http://gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/serm-053.stm both here and at Whitefield's Tabernacle, Moorfields
in 1770.
The original chapel stood on the west side of Tottenham Court Road, between Tottenham Street and Howland Street, surrounded by fields and gardens. Its foundation stone was laid by Whitefield in June 1756, and it opened for its dedication service on November 7th of the same year. Its initial popularity led to plans being drawn up for enlargement, and these were quickly put into effect in 1759. Beneath the chapel, a valult was also prepared; it was Whitefields failed hope that he could be laid to rest here along with the two Wesleys.
In 1890 the building was taken down and re-erected as Whitefield's Central Mission. In 1895 the coffins buried in the crypt (including Elizabeth Whitefield, but excluding the lead coffin of Augustus Toplady) were moved to Chingford Mount Cemetery in north London. On Palm Sunday 1945 the church building was destroyed by the last V-2 rocket
to fall on London. A new chapel was built in 1957, and the grounds became a public thoroughfare.
Since 1976 the latest chapel has been the home of the American Church in London http://www.americanchurchinlondon.org/hist.htm, having been offered to them by the United Reformed Church
when they were forced to move from their building in North Audley Street in 1972. Currently, it houses both the London Chinese Lutheran Churchhttp://www.lclchurch.org.uk/1.html and the American Church in London. The adjoining grounds have recently had a series of interpretive panels designed for them by Groundwork Camden, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. These depict various scenes in the history of the chapel, Whitefield's links to Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, and the abolition of slavery as represented by Olaudah Equiano
who came to be associated with Calvinist Methodism, and came to live close to Whitefield's Chapel shortly before his death.
Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road is a major road in central London, United Kingdom, running from St Giles Circus north to Euston Road, near the border of the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile...
, a church in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England; also called Tottenham Court Road Chapel, was built in 1756 for George Whitefield
George Whitefield
George Whitefield , also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican priest who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the British North American colonies. He was one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally...
. It was enlarged in 1759. John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
preached a sermon "On the death of the Rev Mr George Whitefield" http://gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/serm-053.stm both here and at Whitefield's Tabernacle, Moorfields
Whitefield's Tabernacle, Moorfields
Whitefield's Tabernacle, Moorfields is a church at the corner of Tabernacle Street and Leonard Street, London, England, originally a wooden building built by followers of George Whitefield in 1741, replaced by a brick building in 1753, and again rebuilt over a century later...
in 1770.
The original chapel stood on the west side of Tottenham Court Road, between Tottenham Street and Howland Street, surrounded by fields and gardens. Its foundation stone was laid by Whitefield in June 1756, and it opened for its dedication service on November 7th of the same year. Its initial popularity led to plans being drawn up for enlargement, and these were quickly put into effect in 1759. Beneath the chapel, a valult was also prepared; it was Whitefields failed hope that he could be laid to rest here along with the two Wesleys.
In 1890 the building was taken down and re-erected as Whitefield's Central Mission. In 1895 the coffins buried in the crypt (including Elizabeth Whitefield, but excluding the lead coffin of Augustus Toplady) were moved to Chingford Mount Cemetery in north London. On Palm Sunday 1945 the church building was destroyed by the last V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
to fall on London. A new chapel was built in 1957, and the grounds became a public thoroughfare.
Since 1976 the latest chapel has been the home of the American Church in London http://www.americanchurchinlondon.org/hist.htm, having been offered to them by the United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
when they were forced to move from their building in North Audley Street in 1972. Currently, it houses both the London Chinese Lutheran Churchhttp://www.lclchurch.org.uk/1.html and the American Church in London. The adjoining grounds have recently had a series of interpretive panels designed for them by Groundwork Camden, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. These depict various scenes in the history of the chapel, Whitefield's links to Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, and the abolition of slavery as represented by Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a prominent African involved in the British movement towards the abolition of the slave trade. His autobiography depicted the horrors of slavery and helped influence British lawmakers to abolish the slave trade through the Slave Trade Act of 1807...
who came to be associated with Calvinist Methodism, and came to live close to Whitefield's Chapel shortly before his death.
See also
- Whitefield's TabernacleWhitefield's TabernacleWhitefield's Tabernacle, name of several churches, including:* Whitefield's Tabernacle, Moorfields, London* Whitefield's Tabernacle, Tottenham Court Road, London* Whitefield's Tabernacle, Bristol...
- disambiguation page with a list of churches by this name