Fort James

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached symmetrical five-bay two-storey with attic rendered former house, built c.1870's, with two rear returns. Rectangular on plan facing north-east and set well back on the south-west side of Ardmore Road accessed via a long winding bitmac avenue through mature landscaped grounds. Rear yard enclosed by two ranges of two-storey rubblestone former outbuildings, converted into dwellings c.2006.

Hipped natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles and steel railing to the lead-lined flat section. Two large rendered chimneystacks with octagonal clay pots and several steel skylights. Rendered projection to rear housing lift shaft. Replacement steel rainwater goods with sheeted overhanging eaves. Painted rough-cast rendered walling with smooth rendered plinth course. Square-headed window openings with painted masonry sills and replacement 1/1 timber sliding sash windows with convex horns unless otherwise noted.

Symmetrical five-bay two-storey front (north-east) elevation has a central three-centred-arched door opening flanked by two windows to each side with five window openings to first floor directly over ground floor openings. Replacement double-leaf timber panelled doors flanked by replacement sidelights over panels and original stepped timber lintel cornice with spoked timber fanlight. Door opens onto single flush flagstone to bitmac front area. Two modern rooflights, one to far left and one to far right.

South-east side elevation is symmetrical and has two windows to ground and first floor with two modern rooflights directly over window openings.

Rear (south-west) elevation is abutted by two gable-ended returns, refurbished and altered c.2005. Exposed section has a central window to first floor and a casement window to first floor far left. Roof slope has a modern rooflight to left and a pitched roofed lift shaft to right.

Two-storey return to left has a pitched natural slate roof. North-west face has two windows to ground floor with two windows directly over to first floor, South-east face is entirely abutted by the single storey return. South-west gable is partly abutted by the single storey return to right; exposed section has two doors to ground floor (that to left is four panelled, that to right has glazed top and bottom panels) with two windows to first floor directly over ground floor openings.

Single-storey modern return to left has a pitched natural slate roof. North-west face is abutted by the two-storey return to left; exposed section not viewed. South-east face has two windows to right of yard wall which abuts the return at right-angles; left section not viewed. South-west gable is blank.

North-west side elevation has two windows to ground and first floor with a modern rooflight directly over window openings to the left.

Setting:
Located within an extensive mature landscaped site on the south-west side of Ardmore Road approached by a long winding bitmac avenue. Rendered screen walls enclose a rear cobblelock paved yard lined with two L-plan ranges of rubblestone outbuildings, now converted into dwellings. The outbuildings have pitched natural slate roofs, schist walling with brick lined carriage-arch, door and window openings. Replacement timber sliding sash windows, sheeted timber doors and double-leaf carriage arch doors to all outbuildings. The avenue opens onto the road via pair of modern steel gates on rendered piers.

Materials:
Roof Natural slate
RWG Replacement steel
Walling Painted rough-cast render
Windows Replacement timber sliding sash

Historical information

This house was built post-1860 and both the 1830 and 1853 Ordnance Survey maps indicate that it was constructed on a greenfield site. A plaque inscribed ‘J.A.M.S. 1862’ remains in position as does an armorial stone set at low level into a wall. The initials stand for James A. M. Stevenson, the initiator of the house’s construction and the year may represent the date of the laying of the foundation stone.

The Valuation Revision Books, however, reveal that progress in building the house was slow. In 1864 the property makes its first entry with the house and offices receiving a valuation of £48. This appears to have been rather premature. A note from 1865 reads: ‘This house in much the same state as when ex[amine]d last year – still unfinished inside and not occupied. I therefore leave out the value this year.’

In April 1866 a further comment reads: ‘This house is still unfinished but partly occupied – I enter it at a reduced valuation – to be examined when finally finished.’ However, it was not until 1872 that a valuation of £27 was entered for the house and offices, still indicated as being unfinished.

By 1901 the property had passed to James Stevenson, third son of Robert Stevenson, JP, of Ardkill, Co. Londonderry. A note in the Valuation Revision Books from 1904 states that he was resident in the house. Finally, in 1906, the word ‘unfinished’ was crossed out in the Valuation Revision Books and the valuation of the buildings was increased to £46.

James Stevenson had married in New Zealand in 1895 Nina Sophia Nolan, fourth daughter of the late John B. Russell, Barrister-at-law. The 1911 census shows them living in Fort James with their son Colin, who had been born in Bavaria, and daughter Grace, born in County Londonderry (there was also a German-born domestic nurse).

The House and Building Return of the 1911 census indicates that the house contained 12 or more rooms and had 10 windows in front. A photograph of the house was published in Belfast and the Province of Ulster in 1909. By 1921 James Stevenson had been replaced as occupier of the house by David R. Roberts. Stevenson himself died in Belfast in 1926.

The property later became the Fort James Children’s Home; a primary school was built on a site to its rear. Fort James later became a women’s refuge run by Foyle Women’s Aid. These changes of use resulted in various alterations to its structure. Repairs carried out in 1997 included the re-slating of the roof and the replacement of sashes and frames in a number of the windows.

In 2009 further alterations and extensions were proposed, including landscaping and the creation of a new car park. In 2011 three new-build dwellings for supported living were proposed along with a new common room within the existing courtyard. Also proposed was the construction of a single-storey extension to the house, necessitating the partial demolition of the existing extension. The planning process in relation to these was still ongoing in September 2013.

References

Primary sources
1. PRONI, Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1830, OS/6/5/20/1
2. PRONI, Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1853, OS/6/5/20/2
3. PRONI, Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1905, OS/6/5/22/3
4. PRONI, Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1925, OS/6/5/22/4
5. PRONI, Valuation Revision Books, 1860-1930, VAL/12/B/32/1A-G
6. PRONI, Annual Revisions List of the First General Revaluation, 1936-57, VAL/3/C/6/8
7. NIEA, HB Records

Secondary sources
1. Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the 20th Century (Brighton, 1909)
2. Daniel Calley, City of Derry: An Historical Gazetteer to the Buildings of Londonderry (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013)

Online sources
1. 1901 and 1911 census returns: www.census.nationalarchives.ie
2. PRONI, Will Calendars: www.proni.gov.uk

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Detached symmetrical five-bay two-storey with attic rendered former house, built c.1870's. It was converted to Fort James Children’s Home and then a women’s refuge run by Foyle Women’s Aid and is currently used as a care home. Recent renovations have given the former house an institutional appearance, however its overall composition has been retained. Its interest is enhanced by mature the landscaped grounds and the extensive range of outbuildings which have been converted into residential units. The building is one of a number of large country houses on the Ardmore Road and it is a good example of its type.

General comments

Additional listing criteria apply - R-Age, S-Authenticity, T-Historic Importance