New College, Belsize, London. Wood engraving by C.D. Laing after B. Sly, 1851.

On the site of the later road called College Crescent, on the north east sector of the junction at Swiss Cottage of Finchley Road and Fitzjohns Avenue. The area was then sometimes called Belsize or St John's Wood. "New College, St. John's Wood, was commenced building in 1850, when the first stone was laid, May 11, by the Rev. Dr. John Pye Smith, known as a divine, and as a man of science from his work on Scripture and Geology. The building was completed in 1851, and opened October 8. It has been erected by the Independent Dissenters for the education of their ministers, and is founded on the union of Homerton Old College and Coward and Highbury Colleges. The classes are divided into two faculties, Arts and Theology; the former open to lay students, and having chairs of Latin and Greek, mathematics, moral and mental philosophy, and natural history. The building, of Bath stone, designed by Emmett, in the Tudor (Henry VII.) style, is situated about a mile and a half north of Regent's-park, between the Finchley-road and Bellsize-lane. The frontage is 270 feet, having a central tower 80 feet high. The interior dressings are of Caen stone, and the fittings of oak; some of the ceilings are of wrought wood-work, and the windows of elaborate beauty. The main building contains lecture-room, council-room, laboratory, museum, and students' day-rooms; at the north end is the Principal's residence, and at the south a library of more than 20,000 volumes."--Timbs, loc. cit.

The college merged in 1924 with Hackney College situated a short distance to the north at 527 Finchley Road, on the corner of Finchley Road and Parsifal Road. The merged institution, Hackney and New College, was renamed New College, London in 1936. The former building of the previous New College in Belsize (later Swiss Cottage), shown in the present print, was demolished

London : The Builder, 1851.

1 print : wood engraving ; image 16.5 x 26.4 cm

New College, London. Mr. J.T. Emmett, architect. Vol. IX.- no. 462. The builder. 787

John Timbs, Curiosities of London, London 1867, p. 277

R. Richardson and R. Thorne, The builder, iIllustrations index, London 1994, p. 99

Wellcome Collection 24398i