Kingston House, Shrewsbury
Historic site in Shropshire, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kingston House is a building in St Alkmund's Place, Shrewsbury. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]
| Kingston House | |
|---|---|
Kingston House | |
  Location in Shropshire | |
| 52.7081°N 2.7526°W | |
| Location | Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England |
| History | |
| Built | 1679 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Designated | 10 January 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1254773 |
History
The house was built to a timber-frame design and completed in 1679.[2] It has an unusual tower with a pyramid roof.[3] It became a training facility for "friendless girls in moral danger" in 1872,[4] founded by local vicar the Revd Leopold Wightman and his wife Julia, the well-known temperance campaigner.[5] The building went on to become the headquarters of the Shropshire Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry in the later 19th century.[6] This unit evolved to become the Shropshire Imperial Yeomanry in 1901 and the Shropshire Yeomanry in 1908.[6] By the early 20th century the Divisional Troops of the Royal Artillery and the offices of the Shropshire Territorial Force Association were also based in the building.[7][8] The Shropshire Yeomanry was mobilised from Kingston House in August 1914 before being deployed to Egypt.[9] After the war the house was decommissioned and converted for commercial use: it is now occupied by a firm of solicitors.[10]