Listed Building record MDO11813 - Literary and Scientific Institute, 51 East Street, Bridport

A two-storied building with basement built sometime between 1830-1835 (possibly 1834) for the Bridport Mechanics’ Institute, later re-founded as the Literary and Scientific Institute. The building has a Portland ashlar front and rendered brick sides. Later used as a Public Library until 1997.

No. 51 East Street is of two storeys with basement. The south front is of Portland ashlar with a moulded band and moulded eaves cornice and blocking courses. The ground floor is rusticated and contains to one side the entrance door with semi-circular fanlight over, with flanking Doric columns set within the thickness of the wall to support a semi-circular arch over. The three ground floor windows are round-headed sashes with rusticated voussoirs. The four first floor windows are round-headed sashes with moulded archivolts and impost band and a continuous sill band. The first floor windows are set high above a deep plain frieze bearing an inscribed panel “Literary and Scientific Institute”. The other sides of the building are of brick and cement rendered. (1)

The building was constructed for the Bridport Mechanics’ Institute (founded in 1830), financed by Henry Warburton, MP and its construction dates to the period between 1830-1835, making it one of the earliest Institute buildings in the country (2). Pevsner gives the date of construction as 1834 (3). The Society was re-founded in 1855 as the Literary and Scientific Institute (2). The building was used a Bridport Public Library until the construction of the new Library building in South Street in 1997.

The Bridport Literary and Scientific Institute was established in 1834-5 as a Mechanics Institute, by Henry Warburton, then Member of Parliament for Bridport. The Institue is a 2-storey building designed in neo-classical style with an ashlar Portland stone facade and rendered stone rubble walls to the rear. In 1854-5 the Mechanic's Institute was re-formed as the Bridport Literary and Scientific Society. During the second half of the 19th century the upper floor was taken over for use as an Art School and a series of wings were added to the rear. During the Second World War the building was used as a Quartermaster's Store and in 1950 the building became a Public Library. <5>

Green, C, 2017, Former Bridport Literary and Scientific Institute, 51 East Street, Bridport, Dorset. Historic Building Recording and Archaeological Monitoring and Recording (Unpublished document). SDO15632.

Trustees of the Bridport area Development Trust, 2018, The Literary and Scientific Institute Bridport (Monograph). SDO21296.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 50, Bridport No. 21 (Monograph). SDO97.

<2> Draper, J, 1999, Bridport Literary and Scientific Institute. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeology Society, 136-138 (Article in serial). SDO10468.

<3> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 113 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<4> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BF094775 (Index). SDO14738.

BRIDPORT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1065814 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 18 2025 11:08AM