Editing Twickenham (section)

===18th and 19th centuries===
In 1713 the [[nave]] of the ancient [[St Mary's, Twickenham|St Mary's Church]] collapsed, and the church was rebuilt in the [[Neoclassical architecture|Neo-classical]] style to designs by a local architect, [[John James (architect)|John James]].<ref name=cobbett/>

In 1736, the noted pharmacist and [[Quackery|quack doctor]] [[Joshua Ward]] set up the Great Vitriol Works to produce [[sulfuric acid|sulphuric acid]], using a process discovered in the seventeenth century by [[Johann Glauber]] in which sulphur is burned together with saltpetre ([[potassium nitrate]]), in the presence of steam. The process generates an extremely unpleasant smell, which caused objections from local residents. The area was also soon home to the world's first industrial production facility for [[gunpowder]], on a site between Twickenham and Whitton on the banks of the [[River Crane, London|River Crane]]. There were frequent explosions and loss of life. On 11 March 1758, one of two explosions was felt in [[Reading, Berkshire]], and in April 1774 another explosion terrified people at church in [[Isleworth]].<ref name="Knight">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28369829 | title=Sulphur surplus: Up to our necks in a diabolical element | work=[[BBC News]] magazine | date=19 July 2014 | access-date=19 July 2014 | author=Knight, Laurence}}</ref>

In 1772 three mills blew up, shattering glass and buildings in the neighbourhood. [[Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford]], wrote complaining to his friend and relative [[Henry Seymour Conway]], then Lieutenant General of the Ordnance, that all the decorative painted glass had been blown out of his windows at [[Strawberry Hill House|Strawberry Hill]].

The city of [[Huntsville, Alabama]] was first settled as Twickenham in 1805. In 1811 the name was changed to its present name of Huntsville. It was named after Twickenham, the home of founder [[LeRoy Pope|LeRoy Pope’s]] kinsman, Alexander Pope. The name is still used today as a neighborhood and a [[Twickenham Historic District|Historical District]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Alabama |url=http://archive.org/details/bub_gb_JvtKAAAAYAAJ |title=Alabama laws and joint resolutions of the Legislature of Alabama |date=1819 |publisher=Catawba : Printed by Allen & Brickell, State Printers |others=New York Public Library}}</ref>

The powder mills remained in operation until 1927 when they were closed. Much of the site is now occupied by [[Crane Park]], in which the old Shot Tower, mill sluices and blast embankments can still be seen. Much of the area along the river next to the Shot Tower is now a nature reserve.

The 1818 Enclosure Award led to the development of {{convert|182|acre|km2}} of land to the west of the town centre largely between the present day Staines and Hampton Roads, where new roads&nbsp;– Workhouse Road, Middle Road, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Common Roads (now First to Fifth Cross Roads respectively)&nbsp;– were laid out.<ref>Cashmore, T H R (1977), ''Twickenham in 1818: The year of the Enclosure'', Borough of Twickenham Local History Society Paper 38.</ref>  During the 18th and 19th centuries, a number of fine houses were built and Twickenham became a popular place of residence for people of "fashion and distinction". Further development was stimulated by the opening of [[Twickenham railway station|Twickenham station]] in 1848.

In 1898 some buildings on London Road, near the east end of King Street, were demolished, and a new road was built, in order to relieve congestion on the older Church Street. This new road was named York Street and opened on 1 March 1899.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.php?aid=381&ctid=4&cid=39|title=Shopping in Twickenham|publisher=[[Twickenham Museum]]|access-date=10 February 2020}}</ref>