Great George Street

This postcard was probably printed and published in France, the caption is incorrect, this is Great George Street looking east towards Bridge Street which is immediately opposite on the other side of Parliament Square. This is about 1907 and the buildings on the left will soon be demolished to make way for the New Government Buildings which stretched east to west from Parliament Street to the Horse Guards Approach Road and south to north From Parliament Square to King Charles Street. On the extreme right is a partial view of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors at 12 Great George Street, the building dates from 1898. The buildings in the middle right were Nos. 14, 15 and 16 with Nos. 1, 3 and 5 Little George Street out of sight, apparently they were of little architectural worth, according to Westminster Council who initiated their demolition in the latter part of 1934 to make way for Westminster House, a large modern office block which would have dwarfed the other buildings on that side of Great George Street and also Middlesex Guildhall just around the corner in Parliament Square. Although the buildings were demolished, no new building was ever built thanks largely to Middlesex County Council who wanted the site for an extension to Middlesex Guildhall. To this purpose they were able to buy the freehold for £375,000.00. After WW2, the Government in turn purchased the freehold so that the site could be part of the western enlargement of Parliament Square, which took place in 1950. So now Little George Street runs between a grassed lawn to the east and the RICS building to the west.

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