New Community Church, Southampton - Other

New Community Church,
Central Hall, St Mary Street,
Southampton,
Hampshire

Cemeteries

The church does/did not have a graveyard.

Church History

Originally built as the Wesleyan Methodist Central Hall it followed the style of providing a projector room and the halls were often part financed by Joseph Rank [later Lord Rank] who provided religious films which were shown to a large audience. The best way to get a seat was to attend the service as films were shown after the service and this brought regular family attendances to each Sunday service. Through a combination of social work, entertainment and Methodist fellowship, the Central Hall attracted weekly congregations from the nearby working class housing. The Central Hall also provided space for philanthropic and charitable organisations and so was very much public sacred space and in use by a wide variety of people and in the service of the wider community.

Central Halls in England were built between 1886 and 1945, in most major British towns and cities mainly by the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Situated on wide main thoroughfares they are camouflaged churches - a stark contrast to traditional churches with a cruciform plan and Gothic detailing. This Central Hall was opened in 1925. The Central Hall has been owned by the New Community Church since 1989, and the alterations to the interior were part of an ongoing renovation project. With a seating capacity of up to 800, the tiered venue has seating blocks at both sides of the stage, as well as raised seating at the back of the hall. The outside of the building however remains very much a local landmark in an area with modern bypass roads and nearby modern shopping centres.

The projector room very much part of its identity of promoting religious and education films produced by the Rank Organisation remains within the building.

The Hall was the focal of several large evangelical preachers including George Jefferys and his "South Coast Conquests" and Billy Graham the American preacher who preached his mission to 185 countries throughout the world.

In 1965 it was sold to Hampshire County Council Education Service and used as an annexe to the City College and passed to the present owner in 1989.

Church Records

Maps

The church is located at OS grid reference SU4248911538. You can see this on maps provided by:

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• OldMaps
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• Bing (was Multimap)
• Magic
• Google maps showing nearby churches with satellite image option.

This site provides historical information about churches, other places of worship and cemeteries. It has no connection with the churches etc. themselves. For current information you should contact them directly.