James Cubitt

Image:1888 Welsh Presbyterian Chapel, Charing Cross Road.jpg in Charing Cross Road in London. It is now being developed by arts charity Stone Nest.]]

James Cubitt (1836–1914) was a Victorian church architect specialising in building non-conformist chapels.[http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/pages/history_of_union_chapel.html History of the Union Chapel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625042142/http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/pages/history_of_union_chapel.html |date=2009-06-25 }} accessed 7 June 2009

Background

Cubitt was the son of a Baptist minister, from Norfolk who taught at Spurgeon's Pastor's College in South Norwood Hill[http://uk.archiseek.com/architects/cubitt_james.html James Cubitt (1836-1912) ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426004849/http://uk.archiseek.com/architects/cubitt_james.html |date=2009-04-26 }} (Archiseek) accessed 7 June 2009 — then on the outskirts of London.{{cite book |last1=Binfield |first1=Clyde |title=The Contexting of a Chapel Architect: James Cubitt 1836-1912 (Occasional Publications 2) |date=2001 |publisher=The Chapels Society |location=United Kingdom |url=https://www.chapelssociety.org.uk/?s=Cubitt |access-date=18 July 2023}}

Career

Cubitt was articled to the firm of Isaac Charles Gilbert, in Nottingham (1851–56) and joined W. W. Pocock building chapels for the Wesleyans. From 1862, he formed his own office, forming a partnership with Henry Fuller in 1868.

=Architectural philosophy=

Cubitt's philosophy was laid out in his book, Church Design for Congregations. He attacked as obsolete the traditional nave and aisle design. When the "columns are thick or moderately thick, it inevitably shuts out a multitude of people from the service ... When, on the other hand, its columns are thin, the inconvenience is removed, but the architecture is ruined ... The type as it remains is but a shadow of its former self – a medieval church in the last stage of starvation". Too many architects were failing the principal criteria of their brief: "to produce a grand and beautiful church in which everyone could see and hear the service". His chapels are built as broad uncluttered spaces around a central pulpit and Lord's table.

Works and memorials

Cubitt lived most of his professional life at Loughton, where he built several private houses and three schools. He is commemorated by a blue plaque on Monghyr Cottage, 2 Traps Hill, Loughton, where he died, and was buried in an unmarked grave next to his wife in Loughton Cemetery.

Works

=Architectural designs=

Emmanuel Congregational Church in Cambridge (1873)
Union Chapel, Islington (1877).{{cite web |title=Union Chapel |url=https://programme.openhouse.org.uk/listings/2230 |website=programme.openhouse.org.uk |publisher=Open House |access-date=18 July 2023}}
Church of the Redeemer, Edgbaston, Birmingham (1882)
Welsh Presbyterian Chapel on Charing Cross Road (1888)
Dulwich Grove United Reformed Church (formerly Congregational), East Dulwich London (1890).{{cite web |title=Dulwich Grove United Reformed Church and Church Hall |url=https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101385508-dulwich-grove-united-reformed-church-and-church-hall-village-ward |website=britishlistedbuildings.co.uk |publisher=British Listed Buildings |access-date=18 July 2023}} (Includes a picture of the building)
Staples Road Junior School, Loughton (1888)
Sunnybank, nos 7-9 Woodbury Hill, Loughton, Essex (1889)
Streatham United Reformed Church (formerly Congregational)on Streatham High Road (1901){{Cite web |title=Architect James Cubitt- Streatham Congregational church |url=http://www.streathamsociety.org.uk/2/post/2021/03/architect-james-cubitt-streatham-congregational-church.html |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=The Streatham Society |language=en}}

=Publications=

{{cite book |last1=Cubitt |first1=James |title=Church Designs for Congregations |date=1870 |publisher=Crosby, Lockwood & Son |location=London |url=http://uk.archiseek.com/architects/cubitt_james.html |access-date=18 July 2023 |archive-date=26 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426004849/http://uk.archiseek.com/architects/cubitt_james.html |url-status=dead }}.{{cite web |last1=Clerkin |first1=Paul |title=James Cubitt (1836-1912) |url=http://uk.archiseek.com/architects/cubitt_james.html |website=uk.archiseek.com |publisher=Archiseek |access-date= |date=2009 |archive-date=26 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426004849/http://uk.archiseek.com/architects/cubitt_james.html |url-status=dead }}
{{cite book |last1=Cubitt |first1=James |title=Nonconformist Church Building |date=1892 |publisher=James Clarke & Co. |location=London |url=http://uk.archiseek.com/architects/cubitt_james.html |access-date=30 January 2020 |archive-date=26 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426004849/http://uk.archiseek.com/architects/cubitt_james.html |url-status=dead }}.
{{cite book |last1=Cubitt |first1=James |title=A Short Specification of Materials, Labour, and Goods, for Works Connected with Buildings |date=1911 |publisher=Crosby, Lockwood & Son |location=London |url=https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31229659100&searchurl=ds%3D20%26kn%3DA%2Bshort%2Bspecification%2Bof%2Bmaterials%2Blabour%2Band%2Bgoods%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title1 |access-date=18 July 2023}}.{{cite news |title=A Short Specification of Materials, Labour, and Goods for Works Connected with Buildings |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19110130/227/0002 |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=The Scotsman |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |date=30 January 1911 |page=2 col.2}}