Culshaw and Sumners

History

The firm was founded by 1839 by William Culshaw (1807–74) who had moved to Liverpool in about 1834 to join a firm of architects and surveyors. He practised on his own for over 20 years until in 1861 Henry Sumners (1825–95) joined him to manage the architectural side of the practice. In 1866 they formed a partnership and were known as Culshaw and Sumners. The partnership continued until March 1873, being dissolved when Culshaw took his eldest son, Alfred (1849/50–1926), into partnership. William Culshaw died during the following year, and his son continued to run the practice until 1916. For a short period in 1876–77 the practice was known as William Culshaw & Sons, probably because Alfred's brother William H. Culshaw joined the firm, but from 1878 it was known as William Culshaw & Son. The practice worked throughout from an office in Rumford Court, Rumford Street, in the business area of Liverpool.

1830s to 1861

Initially Culshaw's business "thrived on the office-building frenzy that gripped Liverpool from the 1849s to the 1860s". Culshaw designed about 20 office buildings before he was joined by Sumners, with a similar number afterwards. Many of Culshaw's designs were derived from existing buildings, although he did introduce some new features, including rows of large sash windows to improve the light available for the examination of cotton samples. His designs for these buildings were mainly in Neoclassical style, although he also introduced some Italianate features. Culshaw also designed houses, some of which were in terraces near the city centre, but most were for detached or semi-detached villas in the suburbs. He designed over 50 of the latter, and in addition made plans for extensions or alterations to them. These houses were mainly in Italianate style, either stuccoed, or in brick with stucco dressings. On occasions he introduced Neoclassical, Tudor, and Gothic features. His designs for public houses, shops, and hotels tended to be Neoclassical. He also designed 16 schemes for remodelling or building new warehouses, and created workhouses in Whiston, Ormskirk, Runcorn, and West Derby.

1861 and after

Between 1861 and 1866, before Sumners became a partner, his drawings and plans were signed by Culshaw. Sumners introduced more original and eclectic features into his designs, including Renaissance features. The practice continued to design office blocks, houses, churches and institutional buildings. Notable houses included 19 Abercromby Square, Liverpool (1862). and Quarry Bank House, Allerton (1866), and among the churches were St Stephen, Byrom Street (1867–68, since demolished), and Christ Church, Linnet Lane (1867). The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner, writing in 1969, was particularly impressed by Sumners' design for a mortuary chapel in Everton (built in 1866, demolished after 1969). Sumners continued the practice's tradition of building workhouses with a complex of buildings at Walton, of which the main block of 23 bays with its clock tower, has survived. The practice also designed Liverpool's Royal Southern Hospital (1867, since demolished).