PIMLICO, a district (parochial), formerly a chapelry
in the parish of ST-GEORGE-HANOVER-SQUARE, liberty
of the city of WESTMINSTER, county of MIDDLESEX, 3
miles (S.W. by W.) from St. Paul's. The population is
returned with the parish. The origin of this place is
comparatively modern, but the name is of earlier date,
though at what period, or on what occasion, it was
appropriated to the suburb of the metropolis westward
of St. James' and the Green Park, is uncertain.
Most, if not all the present buildings are of a date
subsequent to the erection of Buckingham House,
in the beginning of the last; century. The eastern part
of Pimlico contains a range of handsome houses, called
Grosvenor-place, extending southward from Hyde Park
corner, and fronting the Green Park and the Royal gardens;
and the ground to the west, between Knightsbridge
and Chelsea, is partly occupied by many wellexecuted
and several truly magnificent buildings, both
public and private, which, when completed, will form
various streets and squares, that may vie with the contemporary
erections in the Regent's Park. To the north
is Wilton-crescent, a semicircular range of buildings,
with another along the diameter, the latter ornamented
in front with .Corinthian pilasters. Eaton-place and
Wilton-place contain some handsome and much embellished
mansions, especially the former. Belgravesquare,
which perhaps may be fairly termed the finest
square in the metropolis, includes in its plan four detached
lines- of buildings, respectively fronting the east, west,
north, and south, with four isolated structures at the
angles, of which last one only is yet completed, a mansion,
with low wings and a good Ionic portico in t"6
centre. The four lateral lines of houses are embellished
with various architectural ornaments; the fronts of
those on the eastern and western sides have corresponding
decorations, and the central houses on each of the
four sides are ornamented with columns and sculpture,
as also in a less degree are those near the extremities;
but the central edifice on the south side is the most remarkable,
having in the lower story a colonnade with
highly enriched capitals, and in the principal story Corinthian
columns, the windows of the attic story, as well
as the parapet, having sculptured ornaments; this edifice
is from the design of G. Bassevi, architect. The opposite
house, on the north side of the square, has a similar
front, exclusively of the colonnade; and the corresponding
edifices in general, being uniform in plan and
decorations, afford a display of much architectural taste
and elegance. From this square, Belgrade-street forms
a noble avenue to Eaton-square, of which only the eastern
part, including the new church of St. Peter, and some
detached portions, is yet erected.
The royal palace now almost completed, stands
on the site of Buckingham House, so called, because
it was erected, in 1703, by John Sheffield, Duke of
Buckingham, on a piece of ground which had been a
place of public entertainment, called the Mulberry Gardens.
Buckingham House was purchased as a residence
for the Queen, in 1761, by a grant from parliament
of £21,000. The entrance to the new palace
is through a triumphal arch, said to be the largest work
of the kind executed in modern times, and equalling,
in its dimensions and general effect, the Arch of Constantine
at Rome. It consists of three gateways, that
in the centre rising to the architrave; over those on
the sides are tablets, containing on one side female representatives
of England, Scotland, and Ireland; and
on the other the Genius of England inciting youth;
between the arches are columns twenty feet high, which
will support groups of trophies and figures; and behind
is a representation in bold relief of the battle
of Waterloo. On the opposite side, fronting the palace,
is a representation of the battle of Trafalgar; and
this structure, which is about sixty feet high, will be
adorned above with several figures, and surmounted by
a bronze equestrian statue of His Majesty. The gates
will be of Mosaic gold, and a handsome palisade will
connect this building with the wings of the palace, enclosing
a quadrangle, surrounded by a peristyle of Grecian
Doric columns. The principal order of the palace
is the Roman Corinthian, raised on a Doric basement.
The central portion of the front is a ports cochere, superior
portico of eight coupled columns, and corresponding
towers, with four columns each at both extremities.
The tympanum of the central portico is filled
with sculpture, and the pediment crowned with statues.
The projecting wings, or sides, of the quadrangle are less
embellished, the centre compartments only (forming
the entrances respectively to the Lord Steward's and
Lord Chamberlain's apartments) are decorated with
pilasters, and adorned, the one with a clock tower, and
the other with a wind tower, both enriched with appropriate
groups of sculpture; the ends of the wings
towards the park display Corinthian porticos, with statues,
and other sculptured ornaments. In the centre
of the edifice is a cupola yet unfinished, which will be
adorned with ribs and other decorations. The entrance
under the portico leads into a handsome hall, beyond
which is the guard-chamber; and from the hall the
grand staircase, which is of white marble, and consists
of a centre, with two returning flights, conducts to the
state apartments, consisting of the saloon, throne chamber,
picture gallery, state bed-chamber, and drawingrooms,
all which are of noble dimensions, and, when
finished, will display the utmost splendour and magnificence
of style and embellishment. To make room
for the enlargement of this magnificent edifice, and
for the arrangement of the grounds belonging to it, a
considerable number of dwelling-houses will be taken
down in its vicinity, and the entire neighbourhood laid
out on an improved plan. The architect of the new
palace is Mr. Nash, whose taste and professional skill
are said to have been assisted by the suggestions of
the late royal proprietor, George IV. The principal
streets and squares of Pimlico are well paved and
lighted with gas, under the direction of commissioners
appointed by act of parliament; and water is supplied
chiefly from the Chelsea waterworks, which were constructed
in 1724, when the proprietors were incorporated
by act of parliament, and a canal was made from
the Thames, near Ranelagh, to Pimlico, whence the
water is conveyed by pipes to the reservoirs in Hyde
Park and the Green Park. Here are saw-mills, a Roman
cement manufactory, white lead works, and a
distillery; and on the banks of the Grosvenor
canal, extending from the Thames, and those of the
basin in which it terminates, are coal, stone, and timber
wharfs. In Grosvenor-place are Tattersall's wellknown
betting and auction rooms, and the large
establishment connected with them for the sale of
horses, and the arrangement of affairs belonging to the
turf; and in Halkin-street is Fozard's riding-school.
Pimlico was constituted a district, by order of the
king in council, in July 1830. The church, dedicated
to St. Peter, is a Grecian edifice, with a grand Ionic portico
of six fluted columns, supporting a plain pediment,
behind which is a square tower, surmounted by a dome
and cross. The building was commenced in September,
1824, and completed in 1827, at an expense of
£5555. 11.1., granted by the parliamentary commissioners;
and it contains one thousand six hundred and fiftyseven
sittings, of which six hundred and forty-one are free.
The incumbency is in the patronage of the Rector of St.
George's, Hanover-square. The episcopal chapels are
Belgrave chapel, in Halldn-street, the front of which has
a noble Ionic portico of four plain columns; Charlotte
chapel, in Charlotte-street, erected as a chapel of ease to
St. George's, Hanover-square; Ebury chapel, near Chelsea;
and the Lock chapel, Grosvenor-place. In Palacestreet,
near the border of St. George's parish, is Buckingham
chapel, a place of worship for Independents.
The new grammar school, in Ebury-street, erected in
1830, is a handsome structure, in front of which is a
well-executed portico of two Doric columns between
pilasters, supporting a pediment decorated with triglyphs
and dentils: this institution is supported by a
proprietary subscription, for the classical education of
youth on moderate terms. St. George's hospital, for
the sick and wounded poor, was originally-established
in 1733, when an edifice, which had been the residence
of a nobleman, was enlarged and appropriated to
the purposes of the charity. A new and handsome
structure in Grosvenor-place, on the site of the
old hospital, has been recently erected, consisting of a
central compartment and projecting wings. The hospital
is supported by the interest of property in the
funds and by annual.subscriptions; and attached to it
is a charity for convalescents. The Lock hospital, in
Grosvenor-place, was instituted in 1746, for the relief
of persons suffering under syphilitic diseases; the name
is said to be derived from an old French term, les Loques,
signifying a house for lepers. It is supported by subscription,
and the interest. of funded property; and
connected with it is the Lock asylum, for the reception
of indigent females who have been discharged from
the hospital. Near Buckingham gate stood a building
called Tart Hall, erected in 1638, by Nicholas Stone,
an eminent architect, for the Countess Alathea, wife of
Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, who formed the celebrated
collection of Arundelian marbles, a part of which
was placed in it. After the death of the countess the
mansion became the property of her second son, Lord
Stafford, who fell a victim to the popular rage against
Roman Catholics, in the reign of Charles II., and at that
period the statues and sculptured marbles were buried,
to preserve them from the mob, who, says Pennant,
" would have mistaken the statues for Popish saints. "
They were sold in 1720, and the house pulled down.