The Wellington Rooms-Liverpools Heritage At Risk No 2

The Wellington Rooms in Mount Pleasant were once described as a ‘house of mirth and revelry’. They were erected after funds were raised by public subscription in 1815.

An Adaptation of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates of Athens, which was illustrated in the influential publication by Stuart and Revelt Antiquities of Athens.
It had a porch on one side for the setting down of sedan chairs.
The Portico was originally open but was found to be draughty and a disfigurement to the original design was made with the blocking up.
A ballroom of some 80ft by 40ft it had a card room and a supper room.
It was thought to have been frequented by the upper classes, as subscription balls, assemblies and occasional fancy dress balls.

How that description conjures up the most remarkable images of Georgian Liverpool. A Maritime City at the nucleus of its upward growth taking it to the city of its height in the early 20th century.
I grew up with it being known as The Irish Centre in the 70s and 80s, and  ignorant of these facts relating the building back to the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleons defeat by the then axis powers under the leadership of the Duke of Wellington.
I recently highlighted its plight in a walkabout with Peter Elson http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-special-features/2008/01/29/living-on-the-eve-of-destruction-64375-20405391/ for the Daily Ghost and it is still the same building, only the deteriation seems to have been helped by the lead on the roof going missing. What state inside to the plasterwork?
There were ghastly plans to develop it by sticking a rubic cube sort of extension on the back. The plans looked more like a sketch on the back of a jerry-builders ciggy packet than a professionals work . http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/tm_method=full&objectid=20615285&siteid=50061-name_page.html
On the English Heretic at risk register for as long as I can remember. Henry Owen John  http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-special-features/2008/03/22/the-changing-face-of-liverpool-64375-20658839/ the area director should be ashamed of himself as should the joker who was the Historic Buildings advisor Peter De Figeurido who let it rot while sucking up to the developers of Mann Island, who it is alleged is now working for Peel Holdings. Click the link above to see him and the Reichmarshal Nigel Lee making excuses after my article sent waves out about the neglect.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/190609north_west_2009_har_register.pdf
And what of Chris Griffiths and Steve Corbett of the useless Liverpool Conseravtion office.
Next to it and with objective one funding an extension was built on the Gibbard Cathedral, that Oscar Niemeyer rip off, Paddys Wigwam while this wonderful little Georgian gem lies there, rotting,  a forelorn looking Mausoleaum to itself.