George Allen Underwood was an architect

Architect

An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

 in Cheltenham

Cheltenham

Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...

.

He was a pupil of Sir John Soane from 1807 to 1815 and then started his own practice in Cheltenham. He was Surveyor for Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

, Dorset

Dorset

Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...

 and the Dean and Chapter of Wells

Wells

Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...

 before moving to Bath in the 1820s.

Among the buildings in Cheltenham he designed were the Montpellier

Montpellier, Gloucestershire

Montpellier is a district of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire , at the end of the Promenade south of the town centre. Originally developed in the 1830s in conjunction with the spas, it is now known for its bars, cafés, restaurants and range of specialist shops...

 Spa (1817), Sherborne Spa (1818, demolished 1938), Cheltenham Masonic Hall

Cheltenham Masonic Hall

The Cheltenham Masonic Hall is believed to be the second oldest purpose-built Masonic Lodge in England. Grand Lodge in London did not build a purpose built lodge room until 1877...

 (1818-1823), Holy Trinity Church (1820-1822) and the Plough Hotel (before 1826, demolished 1982 to build the Regent Arcade).

His other works include enlarging Beaminster

Beaminster

Beaminster is a small town and civil parish in the West Dorset district of Dorset in South West England, at the head of the valley of the River Brit. Beaminster is south of Bristol, west of Bournemouth, east of Exeter and northwest of the county town of Dorchester...

 Manor (1822) and rebuilding Ashwick

Ashwick

Ashwick is a village in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, about three miles north of Shepton Mallet and seven miles east from Wells. It has also been a civil parish since 1826...

 Church (1825).

His brothers Charles

Charles Underwood

Charles Underwood was a builder in Cheltenham who moved to Bristol where he became a neo-classical architect....

 and Henry were also architects.

In regard to Cheltenham Masonic Hall this building is reputed to be the world's first purpose built provincial Masonic Hall after London's Grand Lodge. Presently it is 'home' to 10 Masonic orders and 12 masonic side orders and houses a Gentleman's organ, played most days, from the late 17oo's. Brethren of Foundation Lodge 82, constituted 1753 were responsible for its construction and initiated Brother Underwood just prior to his design for the Hall which cost £4,000.00 to build. It was financed by £25.00 shares and is now run by the Cheltenham Masonic Association. It is the only public building in Cheltenham, other than ecclesiastical still used for the purpose for which it was designed