Leopold House was opened in January of 1883 for orphaned boys aged 10 to 13 years. In 1887 the property was extended and in 1908 re-opened for school boys and provided bell ringing training. The property had a courtyard to the rear with further buildings. Leopold House Closed in 1912 on the opening of new larger home on the Stepney Causeway Site. Mr. Armitage the Superintendent of Leopold House moving to Dame Margaret's Home with the rest of the boys.

Leopold House was then acquired by the Salvation Army as a refuge for the homeless of the area. There then followed a protracted dispute between the Salvation Army and Stepney Borough Council on the intended usage of the building.  Stepney Borough Council finally in 1915 refused permission for the use as a Homeless Refuge. Leopold House then become a factory being used to make shoes and clothing.

Leopold House was finally destroyed when hit by a German Bomb in 1941

Why was the house named Leopold House

Why should this little corner on the Boundary of Poplar and Bow have such a name that is not in keeping with its environment.  The name comes from Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, the youngest son of Queen Victoria.  Although he suffered from ill health throughout his life, he did pay a genuine interest in poor communities and in particular the disabled, he attended the opening, in January 1883, of a new Dr Barnardo home for young boys.  This home was named in his honour and was where Elmslie Point a story  is now.  Soon after the Opening the existing Edward Street was renamed Leopold Street to commerate the visit.

FROM SOMETHING ATTEMPTED SOMETHING DONE!

By T. J. Barnardo

Leopold House Orphan House, 199 Burdett Road, East London. (A Voluntary Home for Little Boys between 10 and 13 years of age, accommodating 420 inmates in good health, who are capable of giving their whole time to education.)

While the average residence of boys at Stepney is only about twelve months, that at Leopold House is usually two or three years. The majority of the occupants go in at about 10 years of age, and only pass on to Stepney in due course when they have attained 13. Few, if any, emigrants are selected from the Leopold HQ use boys, and there are no industries taught there. Hence an uninterrupted course of school training can be carried on. With these younger boys I act more fully than it is possible to do in the Homes for older boys upon the principle that the Christian family sitting-room is the best Reformatory, and fur­ther, that a family without a mother is like a parlour without a fire in winter. Indeed, the education of boys, however orderly and well disciplined must, in many respects, be one-sided which does not admit of kind womanly influence. Especially would this be the case with very young boys like the inmates of Leopold House. Here, accordingly, the residents are placed specially under womanly care.

Many of these young boys, of 10 or 11 years of age, have been taken from very evil as well as from very squalid surroundings; but, admitted as they are at such tender years, they very soon throw aside their burdens of care and suffering, and become the happiest and most natural and boyish little fellows imaginable. Leopold House is thus really the home­liest of all the large Homes under my care, and when the inmates leave its family circle, I find that for the most part they look back to it with a store of pleasant memories.

Considerable attention is always paid to musical training at Leopold House. All my little Handbell Ringers, whose music is universally appreciated, are from this Home. Five or six of these little fellows, with their table of bells, have attended public meet­ings in connection with the Homes for several years past. To these were added in 1887 a party of half a dozen little Scotch Bagpipers. The latter, gay in their tartans, and tuneful in their lilts, have become at once the most attractive of all my wee musicians.

Here, as elsewhere throughout the Homes, the work has been greatly furthered during the bygone year by the result of large extensions and alterations of premises, upon which the builders were engaged during 1886 and 1887. The remainder of the lease of the old premises of Leopold House, with eighty-one years to run, was acquired by purchase in autumn of 1884 at a cost of £4,000 and extensions were only delayed by the lack of funds. A new House has now, however, been built at the rear of the old premises, which accommodates 400 little boys, in lieu of only 100 previously. The new structure is roomy, and al­though plain and without ornament, it is fitted with every improvement which the experience of many years has suggested as necessary. Adjoining this building there is a very useful detached cottage, in which, in case of sudden illness arising, patients may be isolated, thus minimising the risk of contagion. The following are the various rooms included in the new Leopold House; a large top Dormitory, contain­ing 200 beds, with linen room attached, and apart­ments for the master and matron; lower Dormitory, with 70 beds, containing also a matron's room; Dining Hall, with 450 seats; plunge Bath; in which 80 boys are daily bathed; spacious Swimming Bath (with dressing-room); School and two smaller class­rooms, with accommodation for resident school­master. In the old building is the Kitchen, in which the food for the whole household is prepared; six small Dormitory rooms; superintendent's and matron's Apartments; Office; and a Playroom. All these, of course, in addition to various offices and a very commodious playground.

Reproduced from The Guild Messenger August 1976 page 22