Description

PORTLAND

SY6871 REFORNE, Easton
969-1/4/57 (North side)
21/09/78 St. George's Centre
(Formerly Listed as:
REFORNE
Portland St Georges County Infant
School including Hall and Wall to
road)

II

Former school, now community information and activity centre.
Opened April 1857; contractors Hansford and Waight, at a cost
of »775. Rubble with ashlar dressings, but set-back wing to
right in ashlar; slate roofs. A wide, flat H plan, with
schoolrooms to centre behind arcade leading to gabled cross
wings at either end, plus an extension, to rear of the right
wing; centre back has a square projecting unit. At the left
end a gabled doorway links with the later school hall (qv). In
two storeys, with coped gables to bold moulded kneelers.
Gables left and right facing the street each have small
ventilating slit above 6-pane casement over 2-light 8-pane
casements, all in chamfered surrounds. The long schoolrooms
between are set back behind a one-storey 6-bay arcade of flat
four-centred arches to slate lean-to roof, covering wide
paired plank doors to bays 2 and 5, and plank doors on
returns, giving access to wings, Clerestorey above arcade has
series of 4:4:3 - 3:4: cast- iron 9-pane casements with stone
mullions, but one 4-pane centre-hung light to each group;
centre has blank wall beneath a pointed, lead-covered
bellcote, renewed in 1984. At either end of classroom unit a
very deep and lofty stack in brick. Return to wing, right, has
single-storey canted bay, then door tight in corner and 4-pane
sashes at each level. At the rear of this wing a further
canted bay partly concealed by the addition of the extra unit.
At left end a gateway with segmental arch until small gable.
Projecting unit centre back is hipped towards the classroom
block, which has identical clerestorey fenestration to front.
There are several lean-to units at the back. Interior: the two
classrooms, refurbished in 1984, comprise one space with
timber screen divider; six-bay roof with composite rod and
rafter trusses, and heavy doubled timber trusses below the
bellcote. Stone fireplace at each end of room. The original
school building benefited from a large compensatory sum
(»20,000) received by the Parish when Portland Breakwater (qv)
was being built. It is a splendid formal composition,
remaining in use as a school until 1865, carefully restored by
the St. George's Trust in 1984 as a community centre with
added workshops. At that time characteristic 'contemporary
artefacts' were sealed in the new bellcote before it was set
in place.

Listing NGR: SY6886672006

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St George's Centre at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q15979344

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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