The Crystal Palace It was rebuilt at the top of Penge Peak next to Sydenham Hill, an affluent suburb of large villas. It stood there for 82 years from 1854 until its destruction by fire in November 1936. The nearby residential area was renamed Crystal Palace after the landmark including the park that surrounds the site, home of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, which had previously been a football stadium that hosted the FA Cup Final between 1895 and 1914. Crystal Palace F.C. were founded at the site in 1905 and played at the Cup Final venue in their early years. The
The Crystal Palace catering for women also). During the exhibition, 827,280 visitors each paid one penny to use them. It is often suggested that the euphemism "spending a penny" originated at the Exhibition but the phrase is more likely to date from the 1890s when public lavatories, fitted with penny coin-operated locks, were first established by British local authorities. The Great Exhibition closed on 11 October 1851. The life of the Great Exhibition was limited to six months, after which something had to be done with the building. Against the wishes of Parliamentary opponents, a consortium of eight businessmen including Samuel Laing and