Gustav Adolf Church, Liverpool

Gustav Adolf Church or the Scandinavian Seamen's Church is a historical building located in Park Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It consists of a church, built between 1883 and 1884, and an attached minister's house, and provides a centre for the Liverpool International Nordic Community. The combined church and minister's house is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.HistoryDuring the later part of the 19th century, large numbers of Scandinavian emigrants were passing though Liverpool, and there was a need to serve their spiritual needs. The first Scandinavian priest was appointed in 1870, who visited the emigrants in ships and boarding houses. There was perceived to be a need for a permanent centre. The commission to design a church and minister's house was gained by W. D. Caroe, whose father, Anders Kruuse Caroe, was the Danish Consul in the city. It was Caroe's first independent commission to design a church. Building started in 1883 and was completed the following year, at a cost of £15,000. During the 1960s the interior of the church was divided horizontally, when the gallery was removed and a mezzanine floor was added. This was to provide an area for social activity, between the basement and the church itself. At the same time the minister's house was converted from a single-storey building to one with two storeys. Further changes were made in the early 1990s. The lower area was converted into a community meeting room with a kitchen, a café, and other facilities.