Ashton Rd, Denton
Prospect House was situated on the west side of Ashton Rd between Clare St and Egerton St and it was once the residence of John Turner and his family.
John Turner was a gifted engineer and inventor of hat-making machinery who founded his business in 1860. Initially, this traded as John Turner & Sons. In 1900 Giles Atherton JP of Virginia Mills, Higher Hillgate, Stockport, amalgamated with him to form Turner, Atherton & Co which was incorporated as a limited company in 1907. The company’s premises were known as the White House Machine Works and this was on Turner St on the corner with Ashton Rd.
John Turner was born at Denton in 1836 and he married Jane Ashworth at Ashton-under-Lyne on the 17 Jun 1859. His wife was born at Denton in 1837. In 1881 he was resident with his wife and family at Prospect House. He was described as a master machinist and iron founder employing 32 men and 10 boys.
Subsequently, Prospect House became the vicarage for St Hilda's Church, just over the border in Audenshaw. The house was demolished in 1995 and replaced by a block of flats called Denton Court.