The Adelphi district gets its name from the Adelphi Buildings, a collection of 24 neoclassical terrace houses located between The Strand and the River Thames in the parish of St Martin in the Fields. The buildings were constructed between 1768-72 by the Adam brothers (John, Robert, James, and William Adam) and also included a headquarters building for the “Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce,” now known as the Royal Society of Arts. The Greek-derived name of the buildings honors the Adam brothers’ architectural design. The ruins of Durham House were removed to make way for the Adelphi Buildings. The nearby Adelphi Theatre takes its name from the Adelphi Buildings. Robert Adam was inspired by his visit to Diocletian’s Palace in Dalmatia, and some of that inspiration is reflected in the design of the Adelphi Buildings.
The Adelphi district is not strictly defined by boundaries, but generally, it is considered to be situated between the Strand to the north, Lancaster Place to the east, Victoria Embankment to the south, and Charing Cross station to the west.
In the early 1930s, several of the Adelphi Buildings were demolished and replaced with the New Adelphi, an Art Deco building designed by the firm of Collcutt & Hamp. Some of the old Adelphi buildings that still stand include 11 Adelphi Terrace (previously occupied by numismatic specialists A.H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd) and the Royal Society of Arts, which has expanded to include two of the former terrace houses. Benjamin Pollock’s Toy Shop was located in the Adelphi district in the 1940s.
