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News Church marks 150th anniversary


MAIDSTONE United Reformed Church inWeek Street is planning a special service and lunch to cele- brate the 150th anniversary of the opening of its current building. The first Congregational Church


was built in Maidstone in 1748, at the junction of Week Street and St Faith’s Street. The first ministerwas the Rev Herbert Jenkins, who had accompanied John Wesley on his preaching journeys, and is buried in All Saints’ churchyard. During the next 70 years the con- gregation grew and it became clear that a bigger building would be needed. More land was acquired and the first church built on the pres- ent site inWeek Street was opened in 1822. However, within 40 years the building became unsafe and the foundation stone for the present buildingwas laid in October 1864 by Samuel Morley, a Christian philan- thropist and owner of the Morley hosiery business. The new building, the church’s present home, was dedicated in a service on October 3, 1865. The Week Street Congregational Church became a considerable influ- ence in the town both before and during the Maidstone typhoid epi- demic. In January 1898, a service of thanksgivingwas held in the church


The United Reformed Church today (left) and, right, when it was built in 1865


when medals were presented for conspicuous service, one of which was presented to nurse Edith Cavell. InMay1915, the churchwas hit by


fire – the organ, galleries and roof were destroyed, although the lower rooms were saved from entire loss. Worshipwas held in the TownHall until the church re-opened in De- cember 1916. To pay for the re-building and a


new organ in 1920, the adjacent mansewas sold toMrDunning. The


sitewas used to build a department store which was later taken over by the Army and Navy store and then House of Fraser. The Dunning family bequeathed


an adjoining plot of land to the church and paid for the building of a hall with offices and kitchen. The Dunning Hall was opened in Janu- ary 1938. During World War I, the church premises were made avail- able for recreation and during World War II they were in continuous use


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as a canteen for the forces. One prominent Sunday School


leader was Sir Edward Sharpe, owner of the toffee factory then situ- ated in St Peter’s Street. During his leadership the Sunday School was very popular, possibly due to the free samples which Sir Edward reg- ularly gave out. This year an appeal has been launched to upgrade the premises. Remembering town heroine Edith Cavell – page 29


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