St. Georges Church Portland

Description

St. Georges Portland, seen from the Churchyard, oil on paper, 24 x 32 cm. Unframed but mounted with Ivory mount to fit std 12″ x 16″ frame.                                                                                                                                                                                           St. George’s Church began in August 1753. A committee of Portlanders was formed to decide whether to put further finances into the dilapidated St. Andrew’s Church or to erect a new church at a more accessible position. St. Andrew’s suffered from an unstable site and was prone to landslips (notably those on the east side of Portland in 1665 and 1734). Within two months a decision was made, with a survey of the old church finding that repairs would be at least half the cost of a new building. A year after the completion of the church, a house was built nearby for the parish clerk, and this building would become The George Inn.