Crystal Palace, London Hill, Penge, South Norwood, Sydenham and Upper Norwood. The district was a natural oak forest until development began in the 19th century, and before the arrival of the Crystal Palace, it was known as Sydenham Hill. The Norwood Ridge and an historic oak tree were used to mark parish boundaries. The area is represented by three parliamentary constituencies, four London Assembly constituencies and fourteen local councillors. After the Crystal Palace burned down in 1936, the site of the building and its grounds became Crystal Palace Park, the location of the National Sports Centre which contains an athletics track, stadium and
Crystal Palace School Crystal Palace School Crystal Palace School of Art, Science, and Literature, which opened in 1854, was set up by the Crystal Palace Company as a new enterprise to occupy part of its buildings when it re-erected the Crystal Palace in suburban Sydenham in 1853. Civil engineer and later first director of the Royal College of Music, George Grove was appointed secretary. It was a part of the great movements for educational and social reform of the nineteenth century. The main buildings were destroyed by fire in 1936. The overwhelming majority of classes were for women: Classes for gentlemen were limited