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Success of current affairs was in house

29/11/2006

NOW the demolition crews have wiped it from existence as the modernisation of the town centre begins.

But in its heyday Electric House was a proud symbol of Rochdale's growing electric power.

As the domestic market for electrical appliances grew it was the palace of dreams for householders wanting to bring their homes into the bright new world.

With a huge increase in the industrial demand for electricity after the First World War came an increase in the number of appliances available.

Rochdale Corporation was keen to develop home use and soon realised a well-equipped showroom would be the ideal tool to implement this.

Initially one was set up in premises in Drake Street occupied by the corporation gas department.

But that was not enough and the electricity committee decided to combine its head offices, showrooms and domestic appliance stores in one central building.

After viewing a number of sites it decided on land it already owned in Smith Street, adjacent to the tramways parcels office.

Electric House was built at a cost of £20,950 under the direction of borough electrical engineer and manager F H Rudd, borough surveyor and architect S H Morgan and chief architectural assistant S G Eldred.

It was opened on Monday 15 December 1930 and offered consumers a plush introduction to the future of electricity.

On the ground floor the entrance hall with staircase and lift gave way to the main hall, fittings display room, model kitchen, bathroom and dining room, offices for showroom staff and stores for small electrical goods.

Clerical, administrative and accounts staff occupied the first floor while the second floor contained the demonstration kitchen, model bedroom and washhouse with rooms for displaying radiators, water heaters and general appliances.

The third floor was taken up by workshops and the installation department while a side entrance into Samuel Street contained a loading shed.

Stylish on the inside, the building also cut a dash outside - being lit up by floodlighting from on top of the canopy.

Generations of Rochdalians bought their first electrical goods from Electric House and when Norweb took over the provision of electricity for the town it used the building as district offices.

But the building's decline began in 1972 when a reorganisation saw Norweb move out.

Rochdale Council bought it in 1974 and eventually moved in several of its departments.

A few years ago, however, the building was left empty and with the plans to regenerate the town centre it was deemed surplus to requirements.