Erection date: 13/9/1928
This stone was laid on 13th September 1928 by Walter Wakley, foreman stonemason employed on the works.
Adams, Holden & Pearson, FFRIBA – Architects
The Foundation Company Ltd – Principal Contractors
Site: 55 Broadway (3 memorials)
SW1, Broadway, 55
Designed by Charles Holden and built 1927 – 1929 as HQ for Underground Electric Railways Company of London, the main forerunner of London Underground, who in 2015 announced plans to move out and sell the building for luxury accommodation. And, 2019, the sold to a hotel entrepreneur.
Sculptures on the facades are by Jacob Epstein, Alfred Gerrard, Eric Gill, Allan G. Wyon, Eric Aumonier, Samuel Rabinovitch and Henry Moore.
The Ashfield memorial is inside but can be glimpsed through a glass panel in the reception area.
The two foundation stones are either side of the main entrance: Wakley facing north, Auton facing east. A housekeeper close to retirement and a foreman stonemason - very unusual choices for laying foundation stones - a job often given to senior management or minor royalty.
2025: A recent study by Samet Mor, postdoctoral researcher at the Henry Moore Foundation and affiliated lecturer at the University of Cambridge, suggests that Wakley was responsible for installing the sculptures on the façade. He carried out final adjustments to the pieces—not as artistic modifications, but as adaptations to fit the architectural context. This is likely why he is commemorated with the remembrance stone.
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