Historic Huddersfield building firm Aedas celebrates 175 years
Aug 17 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Historic building firm celebrates
“The hall was built in two stages, between 1875 and 1881.
“The first section was opened on June 26, 1878, by the Major of Huddersfield, Alderman Joseph Woodhead, of the Examiner.
“We did the National Coal Mining Museum, renovating and converting the former colliery site into a museum using traditional methods employed by miners and paying particular regard to retaining the historic patina of age which makes it such an interesting place to visit.
“Also we’ve had a long standing relationship with the Halifax Building Society and among our archives is a Valuation No 1 certificate for our earliest project with them dated May 13th 1882 signed by Abbey for Halifax Permanent Building Society.
“At the time we designed their original headquarters and new branches.”
It was back in 1835, at the time Charles Darwin was exploring the Galapagos Islands, that Frank Abbey started a small surveying practice in Huddersfield.
The first office was a small room in Cloth Hall Street, which in the 1800s was a busy street in Huddersfield.
As the practice grew it became Abbey Hanson Rowe, then Abbey Holford Rowe in 1999 and subsequently Aedas.
Now the firm has almost 2,000 employees in 38 offices, spread through 20 countries across the world.
Mr Grayson said: “This success did not come easy.
“It stems from the creativity and ingenuity of thoughtful leaders in Huddersfield, who combined surveying and architecture – which, in the late 1800s, was a true sign of diversity.
“Now it is fitting that our directors and staff will celebrate the 175th anniversary on August 23 in front of that early project at Castle Hill.”
