John Dixon Butler (December 1860 – 27 October 1920) was a British architect who for 25 years was the surveyor for the Metropolitan Police in London. He was the fifth architect to hold the post from its inception in 1842. He took over the role from his father in 1895.
Butler completed the designs and alterations to around 200 London police buildings, including ten courts; as of 2022, about 60 of his buildings survive. Historic England describe him as having been "one of the most accomplished Metropolitan Police architects" and have included around 25 of his buildings on the National Historic List of England and Wales.
Butler was born in London and studied architecture under Richard Norman Shaw, with whom he would assist on the designs for Canon Row Police Station (1898), and the Scotland Yard (south building) (1906) on London's Embankment. Butler's designs were usually in a domestic style sensitive to the context of the newly-developed suburban areas in which the stations were located. Each of his designs included strong municipal qualities such as iron railings, inscribed "Police" lintels, and other stone dressings.
Elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1906, Butler worked up until his death in 1920. He was succeeded in the role of surveyor to the Metropolitan Police by Gilbert Mackenzie Trench.
Early life Dixon Butler was born in December 1860 at 11 Redcliffe Gardens, Chelsea, London.Census of 1861: Class: RG 9; Piece: 22; Folio: 10; Page: 12; GSU roll: 542558 He was the only son and the second of two children to John Butler, an architect and the surveyor (later for the Metropolitan Police), and his wife, Hannah Deavin. Dixon Butler studied at University College London and then the Architectural Association before being articled to his father from whom he learnt about the design and planning of police buildings.
Surveyor to the Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Force Surveyorship was established in 1842; the force's first purpose-built station was built at Bow Street, erected two years after Sir Robert Peel's Metropolitan Police Act 1829.
In the 1880s there was a boom in the construction of police stations, following the political unrest and high-profile events such as the Whitechapel Murders. Under Dixon Butler, after 1895, police station interiors in London became more domesticated and an effort was made to make them more approachable to the public, including their relocation into more public areas. After a violent demonstration outside the station in Bow Street, the Metropolitan Police decided to have separate entrances at their stations for constables, away from the public, and to have officers live at the stations under the supervision of senior colleagues. Extra provisions were also made for the care of prisoners, including the introduction of ablution areas and exercise yards. Externally, Dixon Butler was careful to design them in a similar style to the surrounding, newly developed suburban areas in which they served.
Cherry, O'Brien and Pevsner, in their London: East volume of the Buildings of England series, record Dixon Butler's "unique" riverside police stations for the Thames River Police, founded in 1798 to combat piracy, including his station at Wapping which now houses the Thames River Police Museum. Dixon Butler's designs included features which give his buildings strong municipal accents, such as iron railings and lintels inscribed "Police" or "Police Station", set in stone dressings, and his frequent use of elaborate consoles to doors and windows. These elements give his designs their architectural quality creating a "characteristic type which can be recognised all over London". Historic England describes him as "one of the most accomplished Metropolitan Police architects".
Butler designed the police station on Bethnal Green Road, Tower Hamlets, in 1892 and his son refaced it in 1917, making it a rare example of both their work. Both father and son worked under Richard Norman Shaw on the designs for Scotland Yard; Butler on the North building, Dixon Butler on the South. The position was later reversed at Canon Row on London's Embankment, on which Dixon Butler was the lead architect and Norman Shaw acted as consultant.
Buildings
Dixon Butler completed about 200 buildings during his career, nearly all police stations, and around 10 courthouses;Graya: A Magazine for Members of Gray's Inn, Issue 111, published 2000, p. 88. around 58 buildings survive. He designed Northwood Police Station in the Old English style, sensitive to the fact that at that time, Northwood was semi-rural, whilst acknowledging the proximity to London, through its station on the London Underground Metropolitan line. He designed similar police stations at Pinner and Kew, with the one at Pinner, designed in 1897, being the most domesticated of all his stations; it was equipped with living quarters for a married sergeant and his family, including two bedrooms, a living room, a scullery and a larder, a lobby, waiting room, inspector's office, charge room, parade room, three cells, a stable for two horses and an attached ambulance shed.
A number of Dixon Butler's existing buildings have been converted to other uses, including three, Tower Bridge Magistrates Court and Police Station now known as the Dixon Hotel, Marlborough Street Magistrates Court (now The Courthouse Hotel) and Shoreditch Magistrates Court and Police Station (now The Courthouse, Shoreditch),"A Contemporary Design Hotel with History", Courthouse Hotel, accessed 13 June 2021. which have been converted to hotels. Historic England have included 25 of these buildings on the National Historic List of England and Wales. All are listed Grade II, with the exception of Canon Row Police Station which is given the higher grading of II*.
Known existing buildings
1895–6 - Willesden Police Station, 96 High Road, Willesden, NW10 2PP. Closed as a police station and sold in 2013."New plans to convert Willesden Green Police station to flats", Brent & Kilburn Times, 1 November 2023. The building still exists and is used as an art studio, as of 2025."Create Space London", Brent London Borough Council, 3 June 2024, accessed 1 June 2025. 1896 - Kenley Police Station, Godstone Road, London Borough of Croydon. Sold in 2015. Now privately owned."How much Met Police made", Croydon Advertiser, 3 September 2018, accessed 1 September 2025. 1896 - Greenford Police Station, 21 Oldfield Lane South, Greenford. Closed as a police station in 2013. Sold in 2021."Former Greenford Police Station", Mayor of London: London Assembly, accessed 8 July 2024. As of 2025, the building remains. 1896 – Kentish Town Police Station, 10-12A Holmes Rd, Camden, NW5 3AE. The building was originally designed by Charles Reeves, the first surveyor of the Metropolitan Police, during his tenure (1842–1866), and underwent a restoration by Richard Norman Shaw in 1894-6. It is probable that Dixon Butler had some involvement in the Shaw restorations as it includes features that were characteristic in some of Dixon Butler's later buildings, including elongated door consoles and a date stamp on the door case at the main entrance, in this case "1896". As of 2025, the building is in operational use by the MPS."Kentish Town Police Station", London Assembly, 25 March 2015, accessed 1 June 2025. 1896 – Former Holborn Police Station, Theobalds Road, Holborn, London Borough of Camden, WC1. Located on the junction with Grays Inn Road. Closed in the mid 1960s to make way for a new building at 10 Lambs Conduit Street, Holborn, by John Innes Elliott. The original building is now used as office space. 1896-1906 – Former New Scotland Yard, Norman Shaw South Building (assisting Richard Norman Shaw). Designed 1896-98, built 1904-06. Originally known as Scotland House, it was built to provide office space for the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District. Now part of the parliamentary estate."UK Parliament: Norman Shaw South", UK Parliament, accessed 15 June 2025. 1897 – Pinner Police Station, 1 Waxwell Lane, Pinner, London Borough of Harrow. Attempts were made to sell the building in 2013, but it was later retained. As of 2025 the station remains part of the MPS estate and is operational."MPS Estate List, Metropolitan Police Service, accessed 15 June 2025. 1898 – Camberwell Police Station, 22a Camberwell Church Street, Camberwell, London Borough of Southwark. Closed in 2019 and sold the following year. As of 2025, the building remains."Hurst Warne Secures Letting of Historic Camberwell Property to N Family Club", Hurst Warne, 30 January 2025, accessed 15 June 2025. 1898–1902 – Canon Row Police Station, Canon Row, Whitehall. Designed by Dixon Butler with Norman Shaw as consultant. In 1985 it was renamed 1 Canon Row and ceased to be a police station. Those who were based there moved to the neighbouring Curtis Green Building. The former Canon Row Police Station is now part of the Parliamentary Estate. "Canon Row: Buildings in Canon Row", UK Parliament, accessed 29 July 2025. 1899 – Lewisham Police Station, Ladywell Road, Lewisham.. Closed in 2003. Now in use as private dwellings. 1900 – Woodford Green Police Station, Manor Road, Woodford Green, London Borough of Redbridge. No longer a police station. As of 2025, the building exists as a veterinary clinic called "Claygate House". 1900 – Muswell Hill Police Station, 115 Fortis Green Road, Fortis Green, London Borough of Haringey. Closed in 2013 and converted to flats."Muswell Hill Police Station Committee Report", Haringey Council, 25 March 2015, accessed 7 June 2025. 1900 - Wimbledon Police Station, 15-23 Queens Road, Wimbledon. As of 2025, the building is in operational use by the police. 1900–02 – The Old Police House, Hyde Park. Up until 2025 the building was used by the Royal Park's Police which was operated by the Metropolitan Police. The unit was scrapped in November 2025. Built by Butler for the Metropolitan Police, but on land owned by the Crown Estate, who now own the building. Use unknown."Fears of crime surge as Met disbands dedicated Royal Parks police unit", The Standard, 4 May 2025, accessed 7 March 2026. 1901 – Victoria Police Station, 63 Rochester Row, City of Westminster. Now occupied by private apartments."Vincent Square", John Simpson Architects, accessed on 28 December 2022. 1901 – Molesey Police Station, Walton Road, East Molesey (junction with Bridge Road and Esther Way). Closed by Surrey Police in 2010 and now in residential use. 1902 – Sidcup Police Station, 87 Main Road, Sidcup. Closed in 2014.Protesters 'disappointed' Sidcup police station set to close, News Hopper, 9 March 2012, accessed 28 December 2022 As of 2026 it is a restaurant. 1902-10 – Gladstone House (now Gladstone Court) and Peel House (former police accommodation), 97-105 Regency Street, Pimlico, City of Westminster. 1903-08 – Old Street Magistrates Court and adjoining Police Station, 335 and 337 Old Street, London Borough of Hackney. 1903 - Lee Road Police Station, 418 Lee High Road, London Borough of Lewisham. Closed in 2003, now residential accommodation. 1903 – Bow Police Station, 111 Bow Road, Tower Hamlets. As of 2025, the building is still owned by the MPS and in operational use. 1903–04 – Victoria Magistrates Court, 69 Rochester Row, City of Westminster. 1904 – East Ham Police Station, 4 High Street South, East Ham, London Borough of Newham. Closed in 2014. Sold for development in 2018."Axed East Ham police station sold for £3.4m", Newham Recorder, 3 September 2018, accessed 28 December 2022. 1904 – Gates and Piers to entrance to Derby Gate 1904 – Hackney Police Station, 2-4, Lower Clapton Road, London Borough of Hackney. Closed and sold in 2013. Now a school. 1904 – North Woolwich Police Station, Albert Road, London Borough of Newham.. Still in police ownership although non-operational.