General Information: Although the Wide Street Commission’s best work was completed by 1800, a number of areas were opened up and developed in the early 19th century, notably in the vicinity of Christ Church Cathedral. In April 1816, the Commission planned the redevelopment of the west side of Winetavern St. and requested a design for the ground adjoining St. Michael’s Church opposite the Cathedral. The new development was to be named ‘St. Michael’s’ and was to have a façade in ‘Gothic architecture’ to correspond to the nearby church and cathedral. Two alternative elevations, each with crenellated parapet, were prepared by Henry A. Baker and were presented to the Commission the following August. The first elevation (WSC/Maps/178/1) is for a terrace of seven four-storey houses, set in a crescent or circus, and built of black stone. This design was rejected in favour of Baker’s second elevation for a three-storey, crescent shaped terrace, faced with red brick. (WSC/Maps/178/2). A lease of part of the ground was issued immediately to Robert Boyd, with address at the nearby St. Michael’s Lane. Boyd gave an undertaking to have the development completed by Michaelmas 1819, but the necessary finance was not raised, and the project was not even started. The ground was back on the market in 1821, when a building lease was given to developer Richard Bergan. The terrace of shops with residential accommodation which Bergan built there owed nothing to the ‘Gothic architecture’ originally planned for this street by the Commission. (See WSC/Maps/427). Scale: 10' : 1" Size: (1): 17¼" x 22½" - 44 cms x 57½ cms (2): 16¾" x 23½" - 42½ cms x 59½ cms Paper (1 sheet per drawing, no watermark); ink; watercolours.