Building Records
TitleBuilding Records
ReferenceRCS-BDG
Level of descriptionfonds
Datec1799-2000
Admin./ biographical historyLincoln's Inn Fields
The Company of Surgeons initially bought numbers 41 Lincoln’s in Fields in 1796. The College bought number 42 in 1802, to house the Hunterian Museum. These buildings were knocked down and the College was rebuilt on the same site, and extended back to Portugal Street, by architects George Dance junior and James Lewis. The building work started in 1806 and was completed by 1813, when the Museum finally moved from Hunter’s old house in Leicester Square to its new home. The Museum occupied the whole of the site of number 42, while a lecture theatre, meeting rooms and offices occupied number 41.
Within twenty years the building was showing serious structural defects. The museum also needed larger accommodation to house its rapidly expanding collections and a larger lecture theatre was needed, so the Council decided to re-build rather than restore and expand. The College bought number 40 Lincoln’s Inn fields and held a public competition for the best design for reconstruction. The Competition was won by Charles Barry, who went on to rebuild the Houses of Parliament.
The new building incorporated and extended the façade that had been in place on the original building. The museum was greatly enlarged, as was the lecture theatre. In March 1834 the College also bought 39 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, which was used as the residence of the museum conservator.
Within a decade Barry’s building was once again starting to be too small for the museum, so the Council bought number 37 Lincoln’s Inn Fields in 1847. This building was attached to a large warehouse on Portugal Street. In 1848 the College demolished this and expanded into the resulting space between 1851 and 1852, with a rebuilt lecture theatre and increased museum accommodation. The architect was once again Charles (by now Sir Charles) Barry.
In 1860 the College bought 43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and in 1875 they also bought number 38. In 1886 Sir Erasmus Wilson left a large benefaction to the College, so they were finally able to expand into this space and extend the museum again, as well as the library. Barry had died in 1867, and the College appointed Stephen Salter as the architect. Salter incorporated numbers 39 and 43 in the frontage and added two extra stories to the building, one with wreathed and circular windows.
In 1936 increased space was needed for research laboratories and a building committee was appointed to consider the reconstruction of the upper floors of the building for that purpose. The Bernhard Baron Trustees donated the money to create the laboratories. The architects were HV Lanchester and PA Lodge.
On the night of 10-11 May 1941 the College was hit directly by several incendiary bombs and severely damaged. The whole of the back of the College was destroyed. Immediate repairs made it possible to quickly start using the Council chamber and administrative offices again. A committee was appointed to oversee the rebuilding and in 1943 Alner W Hall was appointed architect and Sir Edward Maufe agreed to act as consulting engineer. At the time there were serious restrictions on materials and the workforce because of the war effort, so it was some time before the rebuilding could start. In 1951 the foundations for the new building were excavated, in 1952 rebuilding started, and in 1953 the Queen laid the memorial stone. The work was carried out in stages due to restricted funding.
The first stage consisted of the eastern part of the building, including the great hall (named the Edward Lumley Hall after a benefactor) and Council room on the ground floor and two floors devoted to anatomy and pathology teaching and research, and laboratories above.
The second stage was the building of the Nuffield College of Surgical Sciences, which consisted of accommodation for about 100 post graduate students, so that they could attend residential courses at the College.
The third stage was the completion of the western part of the building, consisting of a lecture theatre, common rooms, committee rooms, and accommodation for dental research laboratories, the museum, ophthalmological research laboratories, and further extensions for the departments of anatomy and pathology.
Embankment Examination Hall
When the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians decided to start holding a joint exam in 1884 both Colleges realised that neither had suitable accommodation for the examinations. They formed a joint building committee and found a suitable site on the Embankment. Stephen Salter was employed as the architect employed to create a building that could accommodate 600 students at a time. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone on 24th March 1886. The building was ready for use by March 1887. In 1886 the Colleges suggested that land adjoin the examination hall, which was not needed for exams, could be used for joint ‘scientific purposes’. In May 1887 they decided to erect a new building there with classrooms, laboratories and a lecture theatre. The new building was completed in 1890. A joint scientific committee oversaw the research there, which included research on diphtheria, typhoid and the coagulation of the blood. In 1902 Sir Henry Morris offered the Colleges £100,000 to undertake research into cancer and in July the Cancer Research Committee started work. This committee went on to become the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, now known as Cancer Research. In 1908 the Institute of Electrical Engineers offered to buy the Embankment building for a large sum of money, and the Colleges agreed.
Queen’s Square Examination Hall
After the sale of the Examination Hall at Embankment the colleges had to find new accommodation for examinations and research. In March 1909 they purchased number 8-11 Bloomsbury Square. They Colleges had a new building erected there, which opened in May 1912. The Engineers had allowed examinations to continue at the Embankment site in the meantime. Examinations were held at this building and there were also laboratories.
The College also used to own Charles Darwin's former home, Down House, along with the Buxton Browne Surgical Research Centre, in the village of Downe, Suffolk. For records related to Downe House see RCS-MUS/14. For records related to Buxton Browne Farm see RCS-BUC.
The Company of Surgeons initially bought numbers 41 Lincoln’s in Fields in 1796. The College bought number 42 in 1802, to house the Hunterian Museum. These buildings were knocked down and the College was rebuilt on the same site, and extended back to Portugal Street, by architects George Dance junior and James Lewis. The building work started in 1806 and was completed by 1813, when the Museum finally moved from Hunter’s old house in Leicester Square to its new home. The Museum occupied the whole of the site of number 42, while a lecture theatre, meeting rooms and offices occupied number 41.
Within twenty years the building was showing serious structural defects. The museum also needed larger accommodation to house its rapidly expanding collections and a larger lecture theatre was needed, so the Council decided to re-build rather than restore and expand. The College bought number 40 Lincoln’s Inn fields and held a public competition for the best design for reconstruction. The Competition was won by Charles Barry, who went on to rebuild the Houses of Parliament.
The new building incorporated and extended the façade that had been in place on the original building. The museum was greatly enlarged, as was the lecture theatre. In March 1834 the College also bought 39 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, which was used as the residence of the museum conservator.
Within a decade Barry’s building was once again starting to be too small for the museum, so the Council bought number 37 Lincoln’s Inn Fields in 1847. This building was attached to a large warehouse on Portugal Street. In 1848 the College demolished this and expanded into the resulting space between 1851 and 1852, with a rebuilt lecture theatre and increased museum accommodation. The architect was once again Charles (by now Sir Charles) Barry.
In 1860 the College bought 43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and in 1875 they also bought number 38. In 1886 Sir Erasmus Wilson left a large benefaction to the College, so they were finally able to expand into this space and extend the museum again, as well as the library. Barry had died in 1867, and the College appointed Stephen Salter as the architect. Salter incorporated numbers 39 and 43 in the frontage and added two extra stories to the building, one with wreathed and circular windows.
In 1936 increased space was needed for research laboratories and a building committee was appointed to consider the reconstruction of the upper floors of the building for that purpose. The Bernhard Baron Trustees donated the money to create the laboratories. The architects were HV Lanchester and PA Lodge.
On the night of 10-11 May 1941 the College was hit directly by several incendiary bombs and severely damaged. The whole of the back of the College was destroyed. Immediate repairs made it possible to quickly start using the Council chamber and administrative offices again. A committee was appointed to oversee the rebuilding and in 1943 Alner W Hall was appointed architect and Sir Edward Maufe agreed to act as consulting engineer. At the time there were serious restrictions on materials and the workforce because of the war effort, so it was some time before the rebuilding could start. In 1951 the foundations for the new building were excavated, in 1952 rebuilding started, and in 1953 the Queen laid the memorial stone. The work was carried out in stages due to restricted funding.
The first stage consisted of the eastern part of the building, including the great hall (named the Edward Lumley Hall after a benefactor) and Council room on the ground floor and two floors devoted to anatomy and pathology teaching and research, and laboratories above.
The second stage was the building of the Nuffield College of Surgical Sciences, which consisted of accommodation for about 100 post graduate students, so that they could attend residential courses at the College.
The third stage was the completion of the western part of the building, consisting of a lecture theatre, common rooms, committee rooms, and accommodation for dental research laboratories, the museum, ophthalmological research laboratories, and further extensions for the departments of anatomy and pathology.
Embankment Examination Hall
When the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians decided to start holding a joint exam in 1884 both Colleges realised that neither had suitable accommodation for the examinations. They formed a joint building committee and found a suitable site on the Embankment. Stephen Salter was employed as the architect employed to create a building that could accommodate 600 students at a time. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone on 24th March 1886. The building was ready for use by March 1887. In 1886 the Colleges suggested that land adjoin the examination hall, which was not needed for exams, could be used for joint ‘scientific purposes’. In May 1887 they decided to erect a new building there with classrooms, laboratories and a lecture theatre. The new building was completed in 1890. A joint scientific committee oversaw the research there, which included research on diphtheria, typhoid and the coagulation of the blood. In 1902 Sir Henry Morris offered the Colleges £100,000 to undertake research into cancer and in July the Cancer Research Committee started work. This committee went on to become the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, now known as Cancer Research. In 1908 the Institute of Electrical Engineers offered to buy the Embankment building for a large sum of money, and the Colleges agreed.
Queen’s Square Examination Hall
After the sale of the Examination Hall at Embankment the colleges had to find new accommodation for examinations and research. In March 1909 they purchased number 8-11 Bloomsbury Square. They Colleges had a new building erected there, which opened in May 1912. The Engineers had allowed examinations to continue at the Embankment site in the meantime. Examinations were held at this building and there were also laboratories.
The College also used to own Charles Darwin's former home, Down House, along with the Buxton Browne Surgical Research Centre, in the village of Downe, Suffolk. For records related to Downe House see RCS-MUS/14. For records related to Buxton Browne Farm see RCS-BUC.
Extent37 boxes + 2 plan chest drawers
LanguageEnglish
Conditions governing accessBy appointment only. See College website for contact details of the Archives.
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