O'Keefe Engineering

Image: © Stephen Craven Taken: 7 Nov 2009

The O'Keefe site on the corner of Blackwall Lane and Boord Street, East Greenwich, was formerly occupied by the church of St Andrew and St Michael from 1902 to 1984. [The church had been listed before demolition but the link I provided to Historic England's listing page no longer works and has not been archived, so I reproduce here the text I wrote for the Diocese of Southwark: The church seated around 200 people and was allegedly built on a 20ft thick raft over the marsh. "stock bricks, with pantiled roofs. … A clerestory and barrel roof: there are no aisle windows. At the west is a narthex, with flying buttresses above: the window is, as usual, large. Two octagonal turrets. The chancel is much raised, with rooms below." (from 'Parish Churches of London', Basil F L Clarke, Batsford, 1966). According to Clarke, it was partly built with the money from the demolition and sale of St Michael's, Wood Street, in the City, which would explain the dual dedication (there was never a separate St Michael’s at Greenwich). The Parish was united with Christ Church in 1951 but St Andrew's was not closed until 1965. An Act of Parliament in 1968 provided for its demolition but the incumbent refused to leave until he died in 1981. It was listed grade B in 1971 and re-listed grade 2 before being demolished some time after 1984.]

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