The existing church building was erected in 1931 on donated land and the church hall was built in the 1950s in memory of the son of the then Pastor, Mr Allpress, who had been killed in a home guard accident. Various improvements and extensions have gradually been added to equip the church with modern kitchen and toilet facilities.
Dry Street Memorial Church, 3rd October 1931
Extract from the local paper
To erect a memorial to someone who has passed away is by no means unusual, but Mr T W Cook, of Leigh, has adopted a different procedure and has erected a memorial to himself.
The memorial takes the form of a church and it has been erected at Dry Street, Langdon Hills, at the top of One Tree Hill.
The Church was opened on Saturday 3rd October 1931, after the stone laying ceremony had been performed. Mr Cook, who laid the foundation stone, explained that he w3as unable to lay the stone when the Church was being built, as he was in America at the time. Mrs F Church, a daughter of Mr Cook in memory of her mother, laid a second stone. Mrs Cook also performed the opening ceremony, unlocking the door with a special key.
The large attendance at the ceremony when the proceedings were led by the Pastor, Mr Gillam of Leigh, who was formally connected with the Bell Hill Mission at Vange.
About half a century ago a little wooden mission building was erected at Dry Street and for a considerable time was connected with the work of the Bell Mission, but later on it was decided to carry on Dry Street Mission as separate unit. For some time past, the little wooden building had been too small for the growing needs of the district, and it was decided to raise money for the building of a new mission hall. The work was proceeding when Mr Cook, after having already made a generous donation to the fund, offered to build the church at his own expense.
At the service outside the new building, on Saturday, 8th October 1931, prayers were offered by Rev T W Shepherd of Langdon Hills Baptist Church and the foundation stones was laid by Mr Cook & Mrs Church.
Mrs Church also performed the opening ceremony, unlocking the door with a special key. In a few moments the little church was packed, and people stood in the vestries and kitchen adjoining and in the aisles. Forms were placed in the porch and even then there was not enough room, many people having to sit and stand in the grounds outside, listening at doors and windows.
Mr G T Veness, JP of Thundersley, presided, and Madame Kathryn Kind, who was the soloist, sang” The King of Love My Shepherd is” and “Angel Ever Bright and Fair”
The Pastor, Mr Gillam, after welcoming and he felt that in future, Dry Street should be renamed Merry Street, he went on to ask those who had not seen the little wooden box which they had previously used as a mission hall to make a pilgrimage to it that day.
It was about 50 years ago that a band of children of God first decided to extend their work to Dry Street and out of their meagre pittance they erected the little wooden temple which had been used ever since. There were on that day among the mission workers, children of that first band of workers. Things had on rapidly since that time and today they built on the foundations laid by those early workers of Christ in Dry Street.
When the day came that they felt they would have to do something to make their church adequate to the needs of the district, many suggestions were offered. The Woman’s Own started to collect farthings; then they had a field day, under the organisation of Mrs Gillam and her workers, and upon that day Mr Cook was moved by God and offered a sum of £25 to the building fund.
Then they began to look at their plans and found that, under the town-planning scheme for Dry Street, the road was to be widened, and would take away about half of their existing building. Mr K E Dowson, the owner of the present site was approached and he offered them the site at low cost
One Tree Hill was to be widened to a 60 feet road in 1932 under the town-planning scheme, so that they had obtained a really splendid frontage and a fine site. That brought him (Mr Gillam) one day to one great day, a day he would never forget, when Mr Cook, who was also his employer, called for him and, placing a hand on his shoulder, and said. ”Well boy, I have built a hall to the memory of my mother, and would like to put one up to the memory of myself”, with a hand on his shoulder, Mr Cook promised him he would erect the building they had opened that day.
Mr Gillam went on to enumerate the various gifts which they had received. The site having being paid for by Mr T J Dennis, of Leigh, gifts from various supporters and friends all over the district, including minister’s chair, Communion table and chairs, Communion set, chairs for the church, hymn books and all the furnishings.
All that remained to be paid for were a few lamps and other articles, which he hoped, would be paid for by the end of the day. Other gifts were a chair from Messrs Kind and Co., the builders, a Communion chair from the maker of the chairs in the body of the church. A donation of £3 2s 6d in farthings from Women’s Own and from a tiny girl, who had the money given her by her parents to spend. But who had come along with tears in her eyes to him and said she had heard that money was wanted to build a new mission hall and had offered him her two farthings.
The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev E Barlow, of Leigh, President of the Essex Baptist Association, who spoke of the boldness of the early Christians, who refused to keep silent in their teachings of the Gospel when bidden to do so the chief priests.
At the end of the service, tea was served in a marquee adjoining the church, and another service was held in the evening, at which Mr G T Veness spoke shortly. Madame Kathryn Kind was the soloist again and Rev F G Wheeler, of Leigh, and Mr T W Cook gave addresses.
The church is a brick building roughcast with red brick pillars and porch. Inside, on the east wall, above the rostrum, a marble tablet has been let into the wall and bears the following inscription.
“This church is the gift of T W Cook, Esq. Of Leigh on Sea and was opened on October 3rd1931, as a thank offering to God for many years’ service amongst the boys and girls of Shoreditch, London.” Beside the tablet hangs a picture of Mr Cook.
The pulpit, rostrum chairs, communion table and chairs are of unpolished oak. The Minster’s chair was a gift from Mrs Delleany, of Leigh, in memory of her husband, Mr James Delleany.
Heating is carried out by means of anthracite stove and lighting is by means of handsome plated oil lamps. The windows are opaque leaded glass and an organ and piano provide the music.
At the rear of the body of the church are the Minster’s vestry and the kitchen, neither of which have been completed. The church is not attached to any denomination and is a Free Church in every sense of the word.
Dry Street Memorial Church 