Adelphi, London

File:Alexander Nasmyth - A prospect of London (1826).jpg, 1826. The Adelphi Buildings can be seen to the left of Waterloo Bridge.]]

File:Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Adelphi, John Adam Street.jpg Adelphi building from the 1930s, located at 1-10 John Adam Street.]]

The district is named after the Adelphi Buildings, a block of 24 unified neoclassical terrace houses that occupied the land between The Strand and the River Thames in the parish of St Martin in the Fields, which also included a headquarters building for the "Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce" (now generally known as the Royal Society of Arts). They were built between 1768 and 1772 by the Adam brothers (John, Robert, James and William Adam), to whom the buildings' Greek-derived name refers. The ruins of Durham House on the site were demolished for their construction.

Robert Adam was influenced by his extensive visit to Diocletian's Palace in Split, Dalmatia (present day Croatia), and he applied some of this influence to the design of the neoclassical Adelphi Buildings.[https://books.google.com/books?id=PWV1BrLfmHQC&dq=adelphi+architecture+london Peter De Bolla, The Education of the Eye: Painting, Landscape, and Architecture, 2003, Stanford University Press. 296 pages] {{ISBN|0-8047-4800-4}}[http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=17691 C. Michael Hogan, "Diocletian's Palace", The Megalithic Portal, Andy Burnham ed, 6 Oct. 2007] The nearby Adelphi Theatre is named after the Adelphi Buildings.

Many of the Adelphi Buildings were demolished in the early 1930s and replaced with the New Adelphi, a monumental Art Deco building designed by the firm of Collcutt & Hamp. Buildings remaining from the old Adelphi include 11 Adelphi Terrace (formerly occupied by numismatic specialists A.H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd) and the Royal Society of Arts headquarters (which has expanded to incorporate two of the former houses). Benjamin Pollock's Toy Shop was located here in the 1940s.

The South Australian Colonization Commission (1834–1843) had their offices at 6 Adelphi Terrace in 1840.{{cite book | title=The British Almanac of The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, for the year of our Lord 1840.|publisher=Charles Knight & Co. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SjlNAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA59 | date=1840| access-date=10 December 2020 | page=59}} Rowland Hill was secretary to this body, and it was during this period that he devised his penny postage scheme.{{cite web | title=Adelphi Terrace | website=British History Online | date=10 December 2020 | url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol18/pt2/pp103-108 | access-date=10 December 2020}}

The London School of Economics (LSE) held its first classes in October 1895, in rooms at 9 John Street, Adelphi,{{cite web|title = LSE 1895 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805043238/http://www.lse.ac.uk/resources/LSEHistory/lse.htm

|archive-date=5 August 2009|url = http://www.lse.ac.uk/resources/LSEHistory/lse.htm|publisher=London School of Economics|year = 2000|access-date =23 July 2009}} before setting up more permanent operations in Number 10 Adelphi Terrace. By 1920, the LSE had moved a few blocks east, to its current Clare Market address. While in Adelphi, the LSE’s scholars and students were active in the surrounding neighbourhood and community.

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| caption = Crop of Christopher and John Greenwood's 8 inch-to-mile map published in 1827 from an 1830 republication (click to view all). The Adelphi is south of the Strand.

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Adelphi has no formally defined boundaries, though they are generally agreed to be: Strand to the north, Lancaster Place to the east, Victoria Embankment to the south and Charing Cross station to the west. The small set of streets east of Northumberland Avenue are included here for convenience.

Several streets are or were named using the words George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham after the first Duke, 17th century courtier, who acquired York House which formerly stood on this site; his son sold the area to developers on condition that his father and titles were commemorated on the new streets.

• Adam Street – after John and Robert Adam, who built the Adelphi development in the 1760sFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p2Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p16
• Adelphi Terrace – the area was developed by the brothers John and Robert Adam, in the 1760s, and was named after adelphos, the Greek for 'brother'Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p3
• The Arches – presumably descriptive, after the railway arches here
• Buckingham Arcade and Buckingham Street – after George Villiers, 1st Duke of BuckinghamFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p47Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p62-3
• Carting Lane – thought to be from the carts that brought good to and from the wharf formerly located here; until the 1830s it was called Dirty LaneBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p74
• Charing Cross – after the Eleanor cross at Charing, from the Old English word "cierring", referring to a bend in the River ThamesFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p65Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p81
• Corner House Street – unknown
• Craven Passage and Craven Street – after William Craven, 3rd Baron Craven, who owned the land when the street was built in the 1730sFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p85Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p102
• Durham House Street – this was the former site of Durham House, a palace belonging to the bishops of Durham in medieval timesFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p105Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p118
• Embankment Place – after the Thames Embankment, built in the Victorian eraBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p123
• George Court – after George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
• Hungerford Lane – after the Hungerford family, who owned a house on this site in the 15th century, later sold due to debts to create Hungerford Market, before the building of Charing Cross stationFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p167Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p179-80
• Ivybridge Lane – named after a former ivy-covered bridge that crossed an old watercourse on this spot; the bridge was demolished sometime before 1600Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p170Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p184
• John Adam Street – after John Adam, who built the Adelphi development with his brother Robert in the 1760s,Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p172 a combination of the previous John Street and Duke Street with the latter named after the 1st Duke of Buckingham
• Lancaster Place – former site of the Savoy Palace. It passed into the ownership of the earls of Lancaster in the 13th century, the most famous of which was John of Gaunt, who owned the palace at the times of its destruction in Peasant’s Revolt of 1381Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p186Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p194
• Northumberland Avenue and Northumberland Street – site of the former Northumberland House, built originally in the early 17th century for the earls of Northampton and later acquired by the earls of NorthumberlandFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p229Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p236
• Robert Street and Lower Robert Street – after Robert Adam, who built the Adelphi development with his brother John in the 1760sFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p267
• Savoy Buildings, Savoy Court, Savoy Hill, Savoy Place, Savoy Row, Savoy Steps, Savoy Street and Savoy Way – the former site of the Savoy Palace, built for Peter II, Count of Savoy in 1245Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p288Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p295-6
• Strand and Strand Lane – from Old English 'stond', meaning the edge of a river; the river Thames formerly reached here prior to the building of the Thames EmbankmentFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p306Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p312
• Victoria Embankment – after Queen Victoria, reigning queen at the time of the building of the Thames EmbankmentFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p328Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p332
• Villiers Street – after George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
• Watergate Walk – after a former watergate built in 1626 for George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham as an entrance for the former York HouseFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p334Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p337-8
• York Buildings and York Place – a house was built on this site in the 14th century for the bishops of Norwich – in the reign of Queen Mary it was acquired by the archbishops of York and named 'York House'; York Place was formerly 'Of Alley', after the 1st Duke of BuckinghamFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p349

File:Past and Present Number Three.jpg, by Augustus Egg, 1858, set in the Adelphi Arches]]

• Sir J. M. Barrie (1860-1937), playwright, novelist, and author of Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. He first moved to the terrace in 1909, after a divorce. He lived on the third floor of No. 3 until 1917, when he moved up to the 4th floor until his death in 1937.{{Cite web |title=Barrie's flat in Adelphi Terrace House |url=https://jmbarrie.co.uk/photos/barries-flat-in-adelphi-terrace-house |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=J M Barrie}}
• Edward Litt Laman Blanchard (1820-1889), writer, lived in Adelphi Terrace from 1876 to 1889.
• Charles Booth (1840-1916), shipyard owner, philanthropist and author.
• Richard D'Oyly Carte (1844-1901), Victorian impresario.
• John Galsworthy (1867-1933), novelist, author of The Forsyte Saga
• David Garrick (1717-1779) lived for his final seven years, and died in 1779, in the centre house of the buildings (no. 5)[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45138 'The Strand, southern tributaries – continued', Old and New London: Volume 3 (1878), pp. 100–110] accessed: 30 May 2008{{Citation | editor1-last = Gater | editor1-first = G H | editor2-last = Wheeler | editor2-first = E P | title = Survey of London: Volume 18, St Martin-in-The-Fields II: the Strand | pages = 103–108 | place = London | year = 1937 | contribution = Adelphi Terrace | contribution-url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol18/pt2/pp103-108 | access-date = 1 October 2019}}
• James Graham (1745-1794), electrical quack sexologist, lived at 4 Adelphi Terrace from 1778 to 1781, opening his Temple of Health there in 1780.
• Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), English novelist.
• Thomas Monro (1759-1833) physician to George III and art patron, owned a house in Adelphi Terrace.
• George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish playwright, Fabian socialist, co-founder of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

• David Copperfield, created by Charles Dickens, lived on Buckingham Street in Adelphi.
• Fictional detective Gideon Fell, created by John Dickson Carr, lived at no. 1, Adelphi Terrace.
• The 1930s Adelphi building was used for some scenes in ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot episode "The Theft of the Royal Ruby",{{cite web|author=Eirik |url=http://investigatingpoirot.blogspot.ch/2013/07/episode-by-episode-theft-of-royal-ruby.html |title=Investigating Agatha Christie's Poirot: Episode-by-episode: The Theft of the Royal Ruby |website=Investigatingpoirot.blogspot.ch |date=2013-07-04 |access-date=2016-02-16}} and in episode "The Plymouth Express".{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvlocations.net/plymouthexpress.htm|title=On Location with Poirot - The Plymouth Express|website=www.tvlocations.net|access-date=2018-03-08}}
• In an instalment of E.M. Delafield’s semi-autobiographical Diary of a Provincial Lady series, entitled ‘The Provincial Lady in Wartime, the eponymous protagonist works in the canteen of an air raid shelter located under the Adelphi during the Phoney War. Much of the narrative is dedicated to describing the atmosphere and inhabitants of the building and the surrounding area, and many of the events of the book take place here.{{cite book |last=Delafield |first=E.M. |author-link=E.M. Delafield |date=May 2014 |title=The Diary of a Provincial Lady |url= |location=London |publisher=Penguin Classics |page= |isbn=}}
• Cora Harrison's Season of darkness revolves around No. 5 Adelphi Terrace.{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cora-harrison/season-of-darkness/ |title=SEASON OF DARKNESS {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}

• List of demolished buildings and structures in London

{{reflist}}

• Brereton, Austin. [https://archive.org/details/literaryhistoryo00brer The literary history of the Adelphi and its neighbourhood] (New York: Duffield, 1909). Illustrated.

{{Street name etymologies of London}}

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Category:Housing in London

Category:Robert Adam buildings

Category:Areas of London

Category:Districts of the City of Westminster

Category:Georgian architecture in the City of Westminster

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