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St Peter's Square is a public square in
Manchester city centre Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England, within the confines of Great Ancoats Street, A6042 Trinity Way, and A57(M) Mancunian Way, which collectively form an inner ring road. The City Centre ward had a ...
, England. The north of the square is bounded by Princess Street and the south by Peter Street. To the west of the square is
Manchester Central Library Manchester Central Library is the headquarters of the city's library and information service in Manchester, England. Facing St Peter's Square, it was designed by E. Vincent Harris and constructed between 1930 and 1934. The form of the build ...
, Midland Hotel and Manchester Town Hall Extension. At the centre of the square is St Peter's Square Metrolink tram stop, a major transport interchange. The square is also home to the
Manchester Cenotaph Manchester Cenotaph is a war memorial in St Peter's Square, Manchester, St Peter's Square, Manchester, England. Manchester was late in commissioning a World War I memorials, First World War memorial compared with most British towns and cities; t ...
, and the statue of
Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst (; Goulden; 15 July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was a British political activist who organised the British suffragette movement and helped women to win in 1918 the women's suffrage, right to vote in United Kingdom of Great Brita ...
'' Rise up, Women'' In 1819, the area around the square was the site of the
Peterloo Massacre The Peterloo Massacre took place at St Peter's Field, Manchester, Lancashire, England, on Monday 16 August 1819. Eighteen people died and 400–700 were injured when the cavalry of the Yeomen charged into a crowd of around 60,000 people who ...
. From 2010 to 2017, the square underwent significant redevelopment which entailed the restoration of Central Library and attached Library Walk link, the relocation of the Cenotaph to the rear of
Manchester Town Hall Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian era, Victorian, Gothic Revival architecture, Neo-gothic City and town halls, municipal building in Manchester, England. It is the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local ...
, the creation of a new extended tram stop and the construction of two new office blocks to the south of the square; One St Peter's Square and Two St Peter's Square.


History

Up to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the area now occupied by St Peter's Square was at the edge of the town of Manchester, bounded by countryside on its south, west and east sides, with open fields running down to the
River Medlock The River Medlock in Greater Manchester, England rises in east Oldham and flows south and west for to join the River Irwell in Manchester city centre. Sources Rising in the hills that surround Strinesdale just to the eastern side of Oldham M ...
. With the onset of the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
, Manchester's population was growing, and a new church, St Peter's Church, was built on this site 1788-94 to serve the expanding population. The church was built in the neoclassical style by the architect
James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the Neoclassicism, neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to ...
, and was once famous for its church music. The church's dedication to
Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
gave its name to nearby locations: by 1801, a
public square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...
name St Peter’s Square was laid out around the church, and Peter Street, along with adjoining Oxford Street, were being established. The open fields to the west became known as St Peter's Field, also named after the church. In 1819, a crowd of protestors gathered here demanding
Parliamentary reform The Reform Acts (or Reform Bills, before they were passed) are legislation enacted in the United Kingdom in the 19th and 20th century to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the U ...
; this protest was violently put down by army forces. James Wroe, editor of the ''
Manchester Observer The ''Manchester Observer'' was a short-lived non-conformist Liberal newspaper based in Manchester, England. Its radical agenda led to an invitation to Henry "Orator" Hunt to speak at a public meeting in Manchester, which subsequently led to ...
'', condemned the military action and coined the name "
Peterloo Massacre The Peterloo Massacre took place at St Peter's Field, Manchester, Lancashire, England, on Monday 16 August 1819. Eighteen people died and 400–700 were injured when the cavalry of the Yeomen charged into a crowd of around 60,000 people who ...
", a
portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.
of "St Peter's Field" and "Waterloo", in reference to the
Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...
that had taken place four years earlier. Thus, St Peter's Church gave its name not only to the surrounding locations, but also to one of the most prominent violent events in British political history.The ''Peter's Fields'' name has recently been revived by property developers for the area to the west of the square. As Manchester grew into a large industrial city, the middle classes moved out of the city centre to live in the suburbs, and the residential population of the Manchester parish dwindled. St Peter's Church became redundant and it was demolished in 1907. Today, a stone cross, erected in 1908, marks the site of the former church. From the 1860s, the south side of the square was occupied by the Prince's Theatre, a popular entertainment venue designed by the architect Edward Salomons and opened in 1864. The theatre closed in 1940 and was sold to ABC Cinemas. It was later demolished, but due to the contraints of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the planned new cinema was not built. In 1903, the Midland Hotel opened on the junction of Peter Street and Lower Mosley Street facing St Peter's Square. This large, ornate building was designed by Charles Trubshaw in Edwardian Baroque style and is clad in red brick, brown
terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...
and polished granite. It was built as a railway hotel by the
Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 in rail transport, 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had ...
to serve the adjacent
Manchester Central railway station Manchester Central was a railway station in Manchester city centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, the building was converted into an exhibition and conference centre which was opened in 1986; original ...
, which had been opened in 1880.


20th century

In the aftermath of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, a
war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...
was commissioned and it was decided to locate it in St Peter's Square. It was initially proposed that the St Peter's cross should be removed to make way for the new memorial, but the decision was taken to retain the cross and situate the monument in front of it. The
Manchester Cenotaph Manchester Cenotaph is a war memorial in St Peter's Square, Manchester, St Peter's Square, Manchester, England. Manchester was late in commissioning a World War I memorials, First World War memorial compared with most British towns and cities; t ...
, designed by
Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memorials ...
, was erected in 1924, and in 1949, the site was laid out with a garden designed by Leonard Cecil Howitt. The square is the site for the city's
Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces me ...
commemoration each year. In the 1930s, the square underwent significant redevelopment. Architect
Vincent Harris Emanuel Vincent Harris (26 June 1876 – 1 August 1971), often known as E. Vincent Harris, was an English architect who designed several important public buildings in traditional styles. Early life He was born in Devonport, Devon, Devon ...
won a competition to build the new
Manchester Central Library Manchester Central Library is the headquarters of the city's library and information service in Manchester, England. Facing St Peter's Square, it was designed by E. Vincent Harris and constructed between 1930 and 1934. The form of the build ...
on the western side of the square, on the junction with Peter Street. Opened in 1934, the library is a large circular building fronted with a
portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...
of
Corinthian columns The Corinthian order (, ''Korinthiakós rythmós''; ) is the last developed and most ornate of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order, which was the earliest, ...
. Harris's design was influenced by the
Pantheon, Rome The Pantheon (, ; ,Although the spelling ''Pantheon'' is standard in English, only ''Pantheum'' is found in classical Latin; see, for example, Pliny, ''Natural History'36.38 "Agrippas Pantheum decoravit Diogenes Atheniensis". See also ''Oxfor ...
as well as by contemporary library buildings in the US. Harris also won the contract for the neighbouring building, the Town Hall Extension, built 1934-38, an addition to the ornate
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...
Manchester Town Hall Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian era, Victorian, Gothic Revival architecture, Neo-gothic City and town halls, municipal building in Manchester, England. It is the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local ...
. The curved southern facade of the extension complements Harris's adjacent library building, forming Library Walk from the square to Lloyd Street. In the Postwar Era, new
Modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
buildings were erected in St Peter's Square. The vacant site of the Prince's Theatre was filled by Rediffusion House (later named Peter House), designed by the architects Ansell & Bailey for the television company
Rediffusion Rediffusion was a business that distributed radio and TV signals through wired relay networks. The business gave rise to a number of other companies, including Associated-Rediffusion, later known as Rediffusion London, the first ITV (TV network ...
and completed in 1957. The 11-storey building is clad in
Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The quarries are cut in beds of whi ...
and notably is built on a curve to match the ben in Oxford Street. In 1971, Elisabeth House was built on the south-east side of the square, adjoining Oxford Street. The concrete-framed building was designed by the architects Cruikshank & Seward. It was originally intended to be clad in stone to complement neighbouring buildings, but due to a limited budget, the developer used concrete facing instead. In 1980,
Manchester City Council Manchester City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the City status in the United Kingdom, city of Manchester in Greater Manchester, England. Manchester has had an elected local authority since 1838, which has been re ...
declared Manchester a Nuclear-free city, and marked this designation by laying out a Peace Garden in the northern part of St Peter's Square. In the later 20th century, as the city's transport network developed, St Peter's Square began to emerge as a potential location for a
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
station. In the 1970s, proposals for the Picc-Vic tunnel envisaged the construction of an underground railway station to serve both St Peter's and the neighbouring Albert Square. These plans were later abandoned. publicity brochure The early proposals for an on-street
light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
system in Manchester revived the idea of a station in the square, and the idea was retained as the project evolved, becoming a reality when the Metrolink system opened in 1992.


21st century redevelopment

In 2013,
Manchester City Council Manchester City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the City status in the United Kingdom, city of Manchester in Greater Manchester, England. Manchester has had an elected local authority since 1838, which has been re ...
approved plans for the redevelopment of the square, including the expansion of the Metrolink stop to four platforms. This coincided with the construction of the
One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
and Two St Peter's Square buildings and the refurbishment of Manchester Central Library, both adjacent to the square. The £20 million scheme involved moving the
Cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...
, demolishing the
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
Century House to establish a new office quarter and closing Library Walk to the public. The Peace Garden was moved to a new location in nearby Lincoln Square. The Manchester Modernist Society objected to the planned alterations to the square, arguing that the collection of Lutyens' Cenotaph and Central Library and the Town Hall extension formed "one of the best inter-war ensembles in the country", and criticising the scheme as "bland and insipid". The
Twentieth Century Society The Twentieth Century Society (abbreviated to C20), founded in 1979 as The Thirties Society, is a British charity that campaigns for the preservation of architectural heritage from 1914 onwards. It is formally recognised as one of the National ...
argued for the retention of Century House.
English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
stated that the loss of Century House would be outweighed by "public benefits"." Numerous archaeological finds were made when construction work uncovered the former crypt of the long-demolished St. Peter's Church, which had a concrete raft built over it in order to safely construct the new tram lines. The outline of the church is marked in the paving around the square. File:St Peter's Church, Manchester 03.jpg, St Peter's Church (
James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the Neoclassicism, neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to ...
, 1794, demolished 1907) File:Midland Hotel, Manchester - geograph.org.uk - 6356933.jpg, The Midland Hotel ( Charles Trubshaw, 1903) File:"Century House" 11 St Peter's Square, Manchester M2 3DN - geograph.org.uk - 2016779.jpg, Century House ( A W Roques, 1934, demolished 2014) File:Manchester Central Library.jpg,
Manchester Central Library Manchester Central Library is the headquarters of the city's library and information service in Manchester, England. Facing St Peter's Square, it was designed by E. Vincent Harris and constructed between 1930 and 1934. The form of the build ...
(
Vincent Harris Emanuel Vincent Harris (26 June 1876 – 1 August 1971), often known as E. Vincent Harris, was an English architect who designed several important public buildings in traditional styles. Early life He was born in Devonport, Devon, Devon ...
, 1934) File:Town Hall Extension Manchester.jpg, Manchester Town Hall Extension (Vincent Harris, 1938) File:St Peter’s Square Manchester 10 52 35 393000.jpeg, Peter House ( Ansell & Bailey, 1958) File:Elisabeth House, Manchester.jpg, Elisabeth House ( Cruickshank & Seward, 1971, demolished 2014) File:1stpeterssq.jpg, One St Peter's Square (
Glenn Howells Glenn Paul Howells (born 1961) is a British architect and a director and founder of Howells. Early life Howells was born in Stourbridge, England and educated in Plymouth. Practice His practice, Howells (formerly Glenn Howells Architects), ...
, 2014) File:At Manchester 2018 075.jpg, Two St Peter's Square ( SimpsonHaugh, 2015) File:Emmeline in St Peter's Square - geograph.org.uk - 6713601.jpg, Three St Peter's Square


Monuments and statues

Various monuments and works of public art have been installed in St Peter's Square over the years. After the demolition of St Peter's Church in 1907, the site was marked by a Gothic-style
Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The quarries are cut in beds of whi ...
cross designed by
Temple Moore Temple Lushington Moore (7 June 1856 – 30 June 1920) was an English architect who practised in London but whose work can be seen across England, particularly in the North. He is famous for a series of fine Gothic Revival churches built betwe ...
, mounted on a hexagonal plinth and adorned with carved angels bearing the cross keys emblem of St Peter. Moore's design was subject to criticism at the time, as some expressed the view that a
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
style would be more fitting. When the Peace Garden was laid out in the 1980s, a statue was commissioned from the sculptor Barbara Pearson, ''Messenger of Peace'', consisting of a seated bronze female figure surrounded by doves. It was installed in the new garden in 1986; shortly afterwards, the doves were stolen and had to be replaced. When the garden was moved to Lincoln Square, it was decided not to retain the ''Messenger of Peace'' sculpture.
Manchester City Council Manchester City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the City status in the United Kingdom, city of Manchester in Greater Manchester, England. Manchester has had an elected local authority since 1838, which has been re ...
held a competition for a second sculpture on the theme of peace, and a work by Philip Jackson was selected, ''Struggle for Peace and Freedom''. The sculpture consisted of four male and female figures walking forwards, one with an outstretched arm. On the inscription on the granite pedestal, the sculptor's name was misspelled. At its unveiling in 1988, the work was dubbed ''"The Burghers of Manchester"'' (in reference to
Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...
's 1889 sculpture ''
The Burghers of Calais ''The Burghers of Calais'' () is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin in 12 original castings and numerous copies. It commemorates an event during the Hundred Years' War, when Calais, a French port on the English Channel, surrendered to the English af ...
''). Due to budget constraints, Jackson's sculpture was cast in cold-cure bronze. By 2004, it had weathered badly and had to be removed. Its whereabouts are not known. John Cassidy's 1907 bronze sculpture, ''Adrift'', depicts a family clinging to a raft in a stormy sea, with a central male figure holding a sheet aloft signaling distress. The statue once formed the centrepiece of the newly laid out Piccadilly Gardens. It was relocated in 1953 to the north side of the gardens to make way for a fountain commemorating the
Coronation of Elizabeth II The Coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Elizabeth II as queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon th ...
, and was then put into storage when the gardens were redeveloped in 2000. In 2009 it was installed in St Peter's Square outside the Central Library, and following the redevelopment of the square, it was relocated once again to its present location around the corner on Peter Street. '' Rise up, Women'', a statue of
Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst (; Goulden; 15 July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was a British political activist who organised the British suffragette movement and helped women to win in 1918 the women's suffrage, right to vote in United Kingdom of Great Brita ...
, was unveiled on 14 December 2018 to commemorate 100 years since women were first allowed to vote in United Kingdom general elections. File:John Cassidy's Adrift outside Manchester Central Library - geograph.org.uk - 4248515.jpg, ''Adrift'' by John Cassidy (1907) File:St Peter's Cross - geograph.org.uk - 6805520.jpg, St Peter's Cross (1908) File:MC-View to the Town Hall-3.jpg,
The Cenotaph The Cenotaph is a war memorial on Whitehall in London, England. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it was unveiled in 1920 as the United Kingdom's national memorial to the dead of Britain and the British Empire of the First World War, was rededica ...
by
Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memorials ...
(1924) File:The pigeon feeder, Piccadilly Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 628225.jpg, ''Messenger of Peace'' by Barbara Pearson (1986) File:Rise Up, Women - geograph.org.uk - 6003108.jpg, '' Rise up, Women'' by Hazel Reeves (2018)


Manchester Cenotaph

This is the work of Sir Edwin Lutyens and has similarities to the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. It was inaugurated in 1924 and the ceremonies of Remembrance Day have been observed here annually since then. In 2014 the cenotaph was relocated to the north-east end of the square; opposite the Cooper Street entrance to the Manchester Town Hall">Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
.


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Citations


Sources

* * * * * * {{Manchester A&S Squares in Manchester Peterloo massacre St Peter's Square, Manchester,