Streatham Library, Streatham High Road

Image: © Stephen Richards Taken: 23 Jul 2009

Designed by Sidney Robert James Smith in 1890 in a free Classical style with a copper dome. The clock was added in 1912 by A Brock. Smith built several libraries in Lambeth, including Brixton's, which Pevsner describes as being "enjoyable examples of minor late Victorian municipal showmanship". The library was partly paid for by Sir Henry Tate who lived locally at Park Hill, and whose name (with Mr Lyle) resonates through sugar bowls across the land. It is within the Streatham High Road and Streatham Hill Conservation Area. The course of Streatham High Road has been a major highway between London and Sussex since Roman times. Its current appearance is largely attributable to two major spells of development. The first was during the late C19th following the opening of Streatham Hill station in 1856, and the second was after 1911 when the line to Victoria was electrified. Though much-maligned and undoubtedly blighted by heavy traffic, closer examination reveals that the road is lined with a number of interesting buildings, some of which reflect the period between the wars when Streatham was a fashionable centre of entertainment. Information from Lambeth Council (http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/NR/exeres/CE4B5CE1-0387-40ED-B5A9-273A5160C34A.htm ).

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