In August 1836, the Select Committee on Metropolitan Improvements proposed the construction of a new street from Finsbury Square to Whitechapel Church and the Commercial Road. After considering various opinions and alternative schemes, the path of the new road began to take shape by 1838. The construction of Commercial Street was seen as an opportunity to remove slums and improve the area, as it would cut through neighborhoods known for vices and immorality.
Clearing the densely packed and dangerous slums along the proposed street was a challenging task. Men worked at night to empty and fill in privy-pits in the congested courts along the line of the street. Gas pipes were laid in November 1844, and by December, the street’s route from Whitechapel High Street to Christ Church had been marked out. Some criticized the termination of the street at the church, suggesting that it was primarily to facilitate sailors attending Sunday service.
The construction of Commercial Street resulted in the elimination of several existing streets, including Essex Street, Rose Lane, Red Lion Street, Vine Street, and a significant portion of Wheler Street. Initially named Spital Street, the name was changed to Commercial Street in September 1845 to avoid confusion with another street of the same name in Mile End New Town. Building work began in October 1845.
In July 1846, an act authorized the northward extension of Commercial Street from Christ Church to Shoreditch High Street, although construction did not commence until 1851. By 1856, Commercial Street had been paved as far as Fleur-de-lis Street, and the project was finally completed in 1858.
The architectural styles along Commercial Street varied, but the most popular style became known as “warehouse gothic.” Examples of this architectural style can still be found along the street today.
