Robertson Street Church Institute

Robertson Street Church Institute
Robertson Street Church Institute
General information
Address	Priory Street
Location	Loading map...;

Robertson Street Congregational Church Institute was designed by Vernon and situated in Priory Street on the site of a timber yard.

The 1875 edition of the Church Year Book notes that a plot of ground had been secured on Priory Street. At this date it was an intention to let the basement of the new building for warehouses at an estimated annual rent of at least £50. It was envisaged that the ground floor would contain a suite of rooms for the Young Mens Union and accommodate for twenty two separate classes of children. A gallery would “all but encircle the building” and would house a library and ten separate classrooms with two larger rooms for the young woman’s classes and an infant’s room in the end gallery. All classrooms were to be arranged with sliding fronts so they could all be thrown open into one room. Also incorporated were a Superintendents Vestry, Librarian’s Room, kitchens and further offices, the whole to be heated

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It was operational as a church institute and meeting rooms from around 1867 until circa 1962 when it changed hands to become the Priory Billiards Club. It later was converted to become the Penguin Link Bingo Club in 1972, the Penguin Cinema in 1974 with a nightclub Dennies Nightclub in the basement. The Penguin Snooker Club occupied an upper floor of the property.

The building was eventually demolished in 2007.