Origins and historic development
St George's was originally part of the township of Little Bolton, which was divided from Great Bolton by the River Croal. Prior to the regrading of the river banks and the culverting of the river in the late eighteenth century it formed a more marked barrier between the two communities. For much of its length it was crossed by narrow wooden bridges. The main road crossings linking the two townships were Bridge Street and Bank Street/Manor Street.
The original settlement of Little Bolton was situated to the east of Bridge Street, bounded in the south by the River Croal and to the east by the River Tonge. St George's Road and Bark Street were laid out in the late eighteenth century parallel to the River Croal as the town expanded. St George's Road became the main street of the town and was named after the church built to serve the new population. It was also the site of the Town Hall. The north sides of these two streets were developed with terraces of houses in the early nineteenth century, those on St George's Road adjacent to the church being larger and grander than those on Bark Street.
Prior to the establishment of Bolton Corporation in 1839 the townships of Great and Little Bolton were administered as completely separate units and run by Improvement Trustees set up by the Bolton Enclosure and Improvement Act of 1792. Following a meeting held in Little Bolton Town Hall in 1838 a successful petition was sent to the Queen and Bolton was granted a Borough Charter. However the Trustees of both Great and Little Bolton were not finally abolished until the Bolton Improvement Act of 1850 vested their powers in Bolton Borough Council.
Communications between the Little Bolton area and the remainder of the town were greatly improved following the redevelopment of a number of courts and alleys to the north of Deansgate by the Town Council in the 1850's to build a new Market Hall. As part of this scheme Bridge Street was widened and Knowsley Street widened and extended across the River Croal to create a major thoroughfare.
From this time onwards the character of the St George's area began to change and coincided peak periods in the textile industry. Prestigious buildings were constructed on the south side of St. George's Road beginning with the Congregational Church in 1863 and followed by the Spinners Hall in 1911 and the Congregational Sunday School in 1914.
