Hackney's Last Victorian Disinfecting Station in Danger

0:00On April 28th, a disused public health building in Hackney just snagged the top spot on the Victorian society's annual list of England's most endangered buildings. This grade 2 listed disinfecting station on Millfield's road in Clapton is the last one of its kind left in the whole country and it's at serious risk from neglect. Built back in 1899, the spot was key for tackling outbreaks of smallpox, scarlet fever and measles by cleaning folks' clothes and belongings on a massive scale. It shut down in 1984, landed on historic England's at-risk register in 1995, but its solid structure makes it prime for a modern makeover. Conservation experts are pushing hard for new community uses, saying the area desperately needs public spaces and this building screams old school. Ambition in public health design, Hackney Council admits tight budgets make big fixes. It's tough, but they're keeping it maintained and eyeing self-funding options.

1:00The councils had winds lately, like sprucing up Avenue Park Chapel and the Portico in Clapton to get them off the at-risk list. Meanwhile, Stoke Newington Town Hall got added this year over roof collapses and leaks, joining other gems on the top 10, like a Cumbrian railway, station and a Middlesboro Transporter Bridge. These Victorian treasures remind us how history shapes our neighborhoods so fingers cross Hackney finds a smart way to revive this rare piece, before it's too late.