St Saviour's, Pimlico
St Saviour's is an Anglo-Catholic church in Pimlico, City of Westminster, London, England, located at the north end of St George's Square. It was constructed in the 1860s as part of Thomas Cubitt's development of the area on behalf of the Marquess of Westminster. The church was designed by Thomas Cundy, who had previously built St Gabriel's Pimlico a short distance away. As with St Gabriel's, St Saviour's was designed in the Gothic style and built in ragstone to emphasise the contrast with the classical stucco of its secular neighbours. The church is Grade II listed.
History
Building
The foundation stone was laid on 16 June 1863 and the church was consecrated on 16 July 1864. At 170 feet high, the spire was at the time one of the tallest in London. At that time, the church interior looked rather bare. There were two long galleries extending from the chancel to the west end and there was no screen or pulpit, just a small brass lectern.In 1871, the present organ by Hill & Son was installed. In 1882, there was a major restoration called by a former churchwarden "the beautifying of the church": the galleries were removed, the arcade work was added to the sanctuary and the East window filled with stained glass. This work was made possible by the generosity of the parishioners and the supervision of the work by Romaine Walker himself. Further stained glass windows were completed after 1882 and pictures added.
Sanctuary
The reredos depicts the Last Supper and was designed by Romaine Walker, the son of the first Vicar, 1882, and carved by Thomas Earp. The East window, also designed by Romaine Walker, shows Christ in Majesty; by Clayton and Bell. The oak rood screen was added in 1911.Lady Chapel
The baldacchino was added in 1913, by Nicholson and Corlette.Side chapel
The side chapel contains the Mission Altar, originally in the old Mission Hall in Aylesford St. Above the altar the screen, originally in the Lady Chapel, is believed to be by Nicholson and Corlette.Font
The font was also designed by Romaine Walker. The oak spire was added in 1885.Turn of the 20th century
Between 1887 and 1912, a number of new additions were made which can be seen today. The side chapel was blessed in 1889, the sanctuary was decorated in 1891 and the clock placed in the tower in 1895. In 1911, the coronation year of King George V, the church was specially cleaned and the steeple repaired at a cost of £250. The vicar at this active time was Henry Washington. His life and ministry are commemorated by two stained glass windows, the chancel screen and the oak pulpit.In 1914 C. O. Merritt Fox, a churchwarden, published a history of St Saviour's. He concluded his book by saying:
people of the present day... owe a great deal to the men and women of the earlier date, who did so much by stirring up enthusiasm about Church matters, and contributing liberally of their time and money to build churches, work the parishes, and level up the religious standard of the day. How can we show our gratitude for their efforts better than giving in like manner our services and our money, and in every possible way supporting the parochial organizations and the work which the Clergy are carrying on in our parish at the present time”.In the 1930s the statues of the Madonna and Child, the Sacred Heart and the Stations of the Cross were shipped from Oberammergau and added to the church.