St James’s Place was an open square, formerly Broad Court, which held a daily market that sold fruits of various kinds.
The fruit of the orange tree was the most predominant and therefore the locals gave this market the name of ’Orange Market’.
In the middle of St James Place stood a manned Fire Station. Made of wood, it was around 1888 that this structure was converted to brick. It had 3 men on duty over the evening period and outside was a cart with ladders. Next to this station was a free standing gas lamp. Another lamp was situated right above the covered entrance of St James passage that led to Mitre Square. Apart from St James Passage, access to the Place could be obtained via Little Duke Street (which crossed the top of Duke Street from Houndsditch to St James Place) in the east, or King Street in the west.
St. James’s Place was later renamed Creechurch Place.
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