Restoration Work Complete
Birmingham-based William Sapcote & Sons Ltd were appointed as contractors to carry out the restoration of the historic Harris & Pearson office building in Brierley Hill. The architect and lead consultant is Robert Tolley of S T Walker & Duckham in Worcester.
For further information please visit our new Harris and Pearson web-site by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
Restoration work started in April 2004 on the Grade II listed building and was completed in January 2005. This followed the news last October that the Buildings Trust had been successful in its application for a grant of £627,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards total project costs currently estimated at £890,000.
Grants from the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Manifold Trust, Dudley Council and Advantage West Midlands mean that the total finance now available is sufficient for the Trust to authorise the restoration work to begin, whilst the Trust continues its fundraising efforts towards the estimated final balance of £15,000. Much of the grant awarded so far has been made possible by the local support of volunteers campaigning to save the building and in some cases making donations themselves to the fundraising appeal. The approximate value of volunteer contributions alone to the project stands at an amazing £35,000.
Now that restoration work is complete, the building will once again be used as office accommodation, bringing important regeneration benefits to the area.
In addition, the West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust have produced information materials to highlight the importance of the building and its place in the history of the area. The Trust is particularly looking to make contact with former employees who worked in either the office or the brickworks. This will help them to piece together a historical record of the Harris & Pearson Company.
Alan T Smith MBE, Chairman of the West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust, said:
‘This is fantastic news for a unique building and a boost for the local economy. This building means a lot to people, as we have seen through the tremendous encouragement from the volunteer members and other supporters of the Trust throughout this project. It is the culmination of dedicated campaigning over several years. Thanks and congratulations are due to everyone who has played a part in this achievement.’
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