43A, Queen Street

43A Queen Street is a former Mechanics' Institute and Free Library, established in 1869 and known as the Athenaeum from 1872. It was built in 1836 and is designed in the Greek Revival style. The building is made of stucco and features a parapeted roof. It has two storeys and a five-window range, with a three-bay gabled center that has end bays projecting forward. The ground floor is adorned with flat pilasters and an entablature, while the top entablatures are found on the end bays. The windows are sash with horns; the first-floor windows are round-headed and include glazing bars, with entablatures set in panels featuring architraves and paterae. The larger central window has a bowed balcony with an iron railing. The entrances to the end bays are highlighted by attached porches, paired three-panel doors, and overlights. The building has a coped truncated gable and brick stacks. It served as an important venue for public discussion, playing a significant role in the 19th-century development of Wolverhampton.