Henry Ward (architect)

Henry Ward was the architect of many large and important buildings in and around Hastings, East Sussex Henry Ward ARIBA Architect 1854-1927

Ward who was born in 1854 arrived in Hastings in his late 20s after being articled at architectural practices in London & Paris. Ward briefly worked for and under the guidance of architect Walter Liberty Vernon and during the 50 years he worked in the town he designed buildings from his architectural practice at 8 Bank Buildings.

He created several buildings. One of his first designs was the listed Gothic Revival style Hastings Town Hall (1881) in Queens Road and originally included the Police Court with cells, also Bexhill Town Hall. (1898). He was responsible for a number of churches in Hastings and around Sussex including United Reform Church Robertson Street, Hastings’s, St Stephens Bexhill as well as in 1907 the design of the Lady Chapel at Holy Trinity Hastings.

The commercial buildings he designed include the print-works and offices for F. J. Parsons (Observer Building) with its terra cotta glazed frontage produced by [“Hathernware”] [http://www.hathernware.co.uk/company/history.htm] (still under threat of demolition) and a number of stores around the South East for the Plummer Roddis chain of department stores. The Buchanan Hospital women’s wing at St Leonards on Sea, the listed tiles and bar at the Havelock Public House, the exuberant Buccaneer Public House in Eastbourne as well as changes to the front of the Queen Victoria Hotel in St Leonards on Sea.

A few days after his death in 1927 the imposing Plummer Roddis department store (now Debenhams) was opened and was regarded as the finest design he had produced and remains as the largest and most imposing building in the Town Centre of Hastings near to his original offices. In his home town Ward, working with often awkward sites he created a range of architectural styles and interesting quality building, and in the words of the Obituary published by RIBA “Many monuments to the ability and artistic skill of the late Mr Ward remain to keep alive the memory of a man who was widely known and respected throughout Hastings and in professional circles throughout the country”. He Died 9th September 1927.

*Hastings Town Hall, Queens Road - Police Court & cells. (1881)
*United Reform Church Robertson Street, Hastings’s (1884)
*St Johns Congregational Church, Bexhill on Sea (1897)
*St Stephens Church Bexhill (1898)
*Bexhill Town Hall. Bexhill. (1898).
*South Street Chapel, Eastbourne.(1903)
*Buchanan Hospital Elizabeth Mason Wing, St Leonards on Sea. (1907)
*Lady Chapel at Holy Trinity Church Hastings (1907)
*Brightling Mission Church – Hollingrove (1909)
*F.J.Parsons Printworks – Observer Building, Hastings.
*Buccaneer Public House, Eastbourne
*Changes to frontage of Queen Victoria Hotel St Leonards
*Refit of the bar and the tile murals at Havelock Public House
*Plummer Roddis /Debenhams Department Store, Hastings (1927)

External links

*For images see [http://www.1066.net/henry_ward]
*For campaign website to save The Observer Building in Hastings [http://www.stomp.uk.com/]