Completion date is mentioned in this document from 1925 http://www.legco.gov.hk/1925/h250514.pdf (thanks to Annelise for the link):
St. Peter's Church was erected in 1871 on a portion of the present site of the Sailors' Home. The cost of the building was defrayed by subscriptions raised in the Colony and elsewhere and by
Although that suggests the church was built for the use of the sailors, the history of the Sailor's Home (https://themarinersclubhk.org/our-history--.html) says the church started out for use by the local community, then only later was it used by sailors:
1863: A Sailors' Home was founded in Hong Kong when a hostel building was provided at West Point by a number of local firms. The firm of Jardine Matheson took a prominent part in this St. Peter's Church was built in the compound & initially was used by locally resident Europeans and was later to become the Seamen's Church.
1884: The work of The Missions to Seamen began in Hong Kong and in 1885 permission was given for the Chaplain to use St. Peter's Church in the Sailors' Home compound.
The 1925 document above said the church was going to move:
The site of the Church is now required for public purposes and the authorities of the Church would prefer to have a quieter neighbourhood than the present one. The Government accordingly propose to grant a new site for the Church and to contribute the sum of $50,000 for the erection of a new Church.
However I'm not sure how long the church remained at this site before it was demolished.
Photos that show this Place
Comments
Demolition date
I've set it to 1933, based on that as the year religious services stopped at the church. The information comes from this history of Christ Church (thanks to Richard Wong for the tip):
CHRIST CHURCH may be regarded as a rebirth of St. Peter's Seamen's Church, West Point. St Peter's was opened in 1872. It was built to minister to merchant seamen within the compound of the Sailor's Home. It was sponsored by the large altipping and trading firms in Hong Kong, but after the First World War this support stopped, and the congregation was mostly students and staff of the Diocesan Boy' School, the University of Hong Kong and members of a number of Eurasian families.
In 1926, D.B.S. moved to Kowloon. Many of its old boys and Eurasian families also moved across the harbour. It was around this nucleus that Christ Church grew. When the redevelopment of the Diocesan Preparatory School at Christ Church was being planned in 1967, the Vicar affirmed that this link between D.B.S. and Christ Church, extending back to St Peter's, "it not merely sentiment but has sound reasons based on the mixed cultural background of church and school. A background which is likely to be more important, rather than less, in the years ahead."
The Executive Council of Victoria Diocese decided in May 1933 to sponsor a worshipping group in the growing Kowloon Tong area on an eighteen-month trial basis. It appointed the Revd Nelson V. Halward, Chaplain of St John's Cathedral, as orgamsing priest.
Worship at St Pcter's stopped in August I933. When the Kowloon Tong Anglican Church opened the next month in a large double room of a newly built house at 3 Duke Street, the altar and other furnishings were those of St Peter's, and in 1940 its bell was moved into Christ Church tower. In compensation for the resumption of St Peter's, a site in Kowloon Tong was set aside by government along with a sum of fifty thousand dollars.
read more ...
St Peter's Church and Sailors' Home in 1890s
http://gwulo.com/node/6780
History of St Peter's Church
1864: Sailors’ Home was opened.
1872: St. Peter’s Church, built by Palmer & Turner, was opened.
After WWI: the Christians of St Peter’s Church were mainly from DBS, HKU and European families.
1933: Sailors' Home became Number 7 Police Station. Worship at St Peter's Church stopped in August. St Peter’s Church became the site of the Street Sleepers’ Shelter Society Trustees Incorporated.
1938: Christ Churchin Kowloon Tong was opened.
1940: Bell of St Peter’s Church was moved into Christ Church tower.
1948: St Peter’s Church became the sites for various organizations such as a club association for children, a cooperative association for laundering, a station for social service and the Street Sleepers’ Shelter Society Trustees Incorporated.
1953: The Street Sleepers’ Shelter Society Trustees Incorporated moved to the temporary huts in Blake Garden. St Peter’s Church was demolished.
1955: The Street Sleepers’ Shelter Society Trustees Incorporated moved to old Tsan Yuk Hospital in Western Street. New Western Police Station Building was completed in the original site of St Peter’s Church.
re: History of St Peter's Church
Dear Richard,
Thank you very much for this extra information. I see the demolition date should be much later than 1933.
Please do you remember where you found the information for 1953 & 1955 above?
The bottom of this page on the police website has a photo dated 1952 which shows the new Western Police Station Building already complete:
http://www.police.gov.hk/offbeat/781/eng/f02.htm
If that's true it means the church was demolished a few years earlier than 1953.
Regards, David
Records from St Peter`s Church
Hi David, Just wondering if you or anyone may know if any of the records from St Peters Church were kept and moved to the new church. I`m intersted in birth and or baptismal records for my my family from the late 1800s. I have a Carl Smith Card listing one baptism that was done there in 1874 so I was hoping to get a lead on others, that were 1875 to 1879. Being from the same family they would likely have all been done at the same church.
Thanks again, for all you do.
Brian Beesley
re: Records from St Peter`s Church
Hi Brian,
Jill has previously asked about records from St Peters (http://gwulo.com/comment/23992#comment-23992). We suggested trying Christchurch in Kowlon, and Jill replied (http://gwulo.com/comment/30563#comment-30563):
I have also had a negative reply from the pastor of Christ Church in regard to St Peter's
Has anyone else had any luck finding records from St Peters?
Regards, David
History of St Peter's Church
Hi David
I believe St Peter's Church must have been demolished later than June 1953.
According to the newspaper account of the funeral for my grandfather, George W Coysh (see South China Morning Post 9(?) June 1953) ".A funeral service for the late Mr George William Coysh, an old and respected resident of Hong Kong was held at St Peter's Church (Missions to Seamen) yesterday. ...The Very Rev. F. S. Temple, Dean of St John's Cathedral, officiated at the service....."
Regards
Helen
re: History of St Peter's Church
I see the "Missions to Seamen" mentioned in the SCMP article, which I think means that Mr Coysh's funeral was held at a re-located St Peter's Church in the Missions to Seamen building in Wanchai: https://gwulo.com/node/17495
The church moved again to the new Mariner's Club in the 1960s, and it recently moved again while the Mariner's Club site is being re-developed, see http://sundayex.catholic.org.hk/node/5276
January 1872
The building was erected in 1871 but completed by early January 1872.
“THE SEAMEN’S CHURCH.
Our readers will be glad to hear that the above building, towards the erection of which they contributed so liberally, has been satisfactorily completed; the rapidity with which the subscriptions came in having enabled the trustees to place it in hand at once. The building is now quite ready for use, and an opening service will be held in a few days.
The little Church will, we are confident, be thoroughly appreciated by all in Hongkong. Its general aspect is pleasing. The tower and porch are naturally the most important features, and both are admirable in design and execution. The latter is specially attractive, having the double advantage of the pleasing associations connected with the “Porch” in churches at home, and of possessing practical utility; being of course a most convenient shelter, to those entering from chairs, either in sunny or wet weather. The inside of the Church is necessarily simple, but is rendered attractive by the Gothic windows varied by red brick borders. The roof is a very striking and most successful feature. For the clumsy straight beams usual here, circular beams formed of a number of pieces put together in the shape of an arch are substituted. The fittings have all been finished in the best style. The seats are well suited for comfort, and the lectern, pulpit, and communion table are of good design well executed in teak. The font is of finely dressed granite. Gas has been laid on to the building, two brilliant starlights lighting the nave. The floors deserve notice; the part where the seats are placed being of hard wood and the porch and aisles being of small marble tiles, black and white.
A meeting of the Committee took place on Thursday last, when the members expressed themselves much satisfied with the successful completion of the building. The aspect of the Church will be shortly much improved by the substitution of iron railing, which has been ordered from home, for the boundary walls, which run on the North and East sides; and the portion of land which has been granted to the Church will be enclosed with a light iron fencing.”
Source: Hong Kong Daily Press, page 2, 6th January 1872