User:PamD/Sandbox2

/Leedsplaces St Paul's House is a Grade II* listed Victorian building in the Moorish style, in Park Square, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Built in 1878 for John Barran as a ready-made clothing factory, it is now used as offices after a major renovation in the 1970s.

The site
St Paul's House is on the south side of Park Square, replacing nine of the original Georgian houses of the square (numbers 15-23). It was built beside St Paul's Church, which was demolished in .... and replaced by offices for the Water Authority. It occupies land between Park Square and St Paul's Street, and its original entrance was in St Paul's Street. Park Square was a fashionable area of Leeds when first developed, but after Benjamin Gott's Bean Ings Mill was built (on the site of the current Yorkshire Post Newspapers offices), the square suffered from pollution and became less desirable.

The architect and client
Thomas Ambler had worked on several previous projects for Barran, including a shop at number 1 Boar Lane / 46 Basinghall Street in 1873 which showed innovative use of cast iron and glass (demolished for the Bond Street Centre). It is thought that Ambler may have been influenced by Owen Jones's recent measured drawings of the Alhambra, or by the Doge's Palace which he had seen on a visit to Venice.

Barran's business had expanded since he began with a single shop at number 1 Briggate: he had occupied factories in Alfred Street and Park Row, and by 1872 had 2,000 sewing machines, powered by gas engines.

The Public Benefit Boot Company
In 1875 a Hull boot shop had opened....

Post war years
The building became neglected and was at risk of being demolished. In ... the Council applied an emergency protection notice....

Renovation
A major renovation project was undertaken, work starting on ... and the building being reopened on .... Niklaus Pevsner performed the opening ceremony, and said....

Category:Listed buildings in Leeds Category:Grade II* listed buildings in West Yorkshire

Leeds infobox

 * blank1_name = ISO 3166-2
 * blank1_info = GB-LDS
 * blank2_name = ONS code
 * blank2_info = 00DA
 * blank3_name = OS grid reference
 * blank3_info =
 * blank4_name = NUTS 3
 * blank4_info = UKE42
 * blank5_name = Demonym
 * blank5_info = Leodiensian, Loiner (not widely used)

Date autoformat test
Today is 4 April 2009 or April 4, 2009.

Sic
shouldof [sic]

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