The early years: 1865-1875
The second Peabody estate was opened at Greenman Street, Islington, in 1865. It consisted of four blocks arranged round a square courtyard. The architectural style was Italianate, with yellow stock bricks used for the walls and slate tiles on the roofs. Each block was five storeys high, with the top floor containing shared laundries. The flats were from one to four rooms in size, and were reached via long corridors. Railings separated the estate from surrounding streets and the gates were closed at 11pm each night. The rent for a single room was two shillings and sixpence (12½p) and for three rooms it was five shillings (25p).
Peabody's architect for all the pre-1900 estates was Henry Darbishire. The trustees believed that improving the health of the tenants was important, so blocks were separated from one another to allow good ventilation. The central space provided a safe playing area for the tenants' children. The flats were not self-contained; they were built in a style known as 'associated dwellings' with shared sinks and WCs on the landings. This enabled the facilities to be inspected regularly for cleanliness.
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The Lawrence Street estate
in Chelsea, built in 1870.
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Peabody was initially limited to building within an eight-mile radius from the Royal Exchange in the City of London. The trustees identified suitable sites which they could buy to build the early estates. Islington was followed by estates at Shadwell (1866), Westminster (1868 – later demolished), Lawrence Street in Chelsea (1870) and Blackfriars Road (1871). At Blackfriars the architect abandoned the long corridors used on the earlier estates, and grouped the flats round staircases. Usually there would be four or five flats per floor in each block. Rubbish could be put into chutes which sent it to ground level, and many estates had shared laundries and bathhouses. Coal stores and pramsheds were also provided.
Each estate had a resident superintendent and several porters. The superintendent dealt with applications for rooms, collected the rents, and enforced Peabody's rules. These rules included requiring the tenants to sweep the passages and steps every morning before 10 o'clock, and to take it in turn to clean the laundry windows and the shared sinks and closets. Every resident had to be vaccinated against smallpox, and the superintendents kept records of all cases of infectious disease. Typical occupations of the tenants included labourers and porters, coachmen, printers, bookbinders, messengers, hatters and tailors. At one time the residents included numerous police constables.
