| Description | This school with railings and piers was built in 1906 from red brick, with ashlar details, and slate roofs. It was built in Arts and Crafts Classical style. It comprises of two buildings: a two and three storey south block of three bays, with pedimented outer bays and corner turrets that have shallow domed roofs; and a single storey north block also with gabled end bays. The south building has Classical motifs that include ashlar corner pilasters, Ionic columns to the entrances, half columns between the windows on the upper storey, deep modillion eaves cornices, and moulded pediments. There are carved stone plaques on the corner bays, over the entrances and in the pediments, all of which have scrolled shields, keyed arches and cherubs with ‘LCC’ and boys’ and girls’ entrances indicated. The main entrance, to Cowper Street, has projecting end bays that are possibly later, and has Dutch style gables and a central segmental pediment. There is also a screen wall and elaborate gateway with half columns, cornice and ball finials. The north building was probably originally an infants’ school, and has gabled end bays and segmental pediments over tall windows.
This building was built as Cowper Street Schools, for Leeds City Council, and the report on its opening in 1906 states that it was divided into three departments and had 1520 pupils, with manual and cookery departments as well.
(Text edited from English Heritage LBO description).
In 2002 a planning application was made for the demolition of the infants school, which was at that time called the Hamilton Building. At the time of the application, the Hamilton Building had been redundant for approximately five years and it was proposed that demolition of the building would improve playground provision for the adjacent junior school. The total demolition of this listed building was opposed by WYAAS in 2002, and it is not known whether demolition took place or not, however, from looking at Multimap, it would appear that demolition has since taken place. |