Smiley Buildings

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical one and two-storey building in ‘Domestic Revival’ style with red tiled roofs and half-timbered gables, with a modern extension to the rear.

Main entrance faces south. Entrance front symmetrical comprising a three-bay, two-storey central block with flanking single-storey wings which terminate in gabled projections. Roofs of red Brosley clay tiles with red terracotta ridge tiles; eaves supported on shaped projecting rafter ends all round. Moulded cast iron gutters; circular cast iron downpipes. Walls dry dashed using crushed stones and pebbles of varied colours, with red brick base courses up to ground floor cill level, but red brick plinth of central block later smooth cement rendered, inappropriate; thin vertical strips of smooth cement render to each external corner of building.

Central block three-bay comprising an entrance bay slightly recessed between two gabled bays; gables half timbered with shaped corbels painted light grey as timbering, with panels between painted white. Timber barge boards with moulded edges. Roofs of gabled bays run back just below ridge line of central roof to four extended hips. Two prominent chimneys in red brick with angled brick mouldings, one to each extremity of entrance bay. Windows to gabled bays, one to each floor, segmental headed, PVC replacements, three-light with top hung transom lights, inappropriate; concrete cills; smooth cement rendered reveals, not original finish. Moulded red brick string course at ground floor cill level; moulded red brick string course with dentil cornice at first floor level, returning at extremities, and returning at inner corners with entrance bay to meet red sandstone moulding of identical form running across top of doorway. Some damage to both upper and lower string courses of gabled bays. To right of ground floor windows of left hand gabled bay, modern inscription plaque.

Entrance bay at ground level has full width doorcase in red sandstone: segmental arched with panelled keystone inscribed with date ‘1903’; blind circular panel to each spandrel; blue painted wooden double doors, four-panel raised and fielded, modern brass letterbox to left hand leaf, modern brass door knob to right hand leaf; doors set in panelled timber frame flanked by side panels with sidelights containing leaded decorative glazing, and fanlight similarly glazed; leaded spandrels containing shamrock motif and scrolling timber bracket; exterior appearance badly spoiled by being abutted at door head level by PVC clad flat canopy linking original doorway with a large white-painted steel framed porte-cochere of modern design and recent construction. Canopy prevents all elements of original doorway, the single most interesting feature of the original building, being seen altogether from any one viewing point. Above ground floor doorcase, a rectangular inscription panel in red sandstone with cornice over, some repair work to frieze in pink tinted cement easily visible; inscription reads ‘Built and endowed by H.H. Smiley of Drumalis’. Frieze extends up to cill level of single first floor window, acting as its cill; originally frieze inscribed with raised name ‘Cottage Hospital’ but letters now removed; segmental headed PVC single fixed light with top hung vent; to left of window head, burglar alarm; to right of window head, short diagonally run circular PVC downpipe from moulded gutter above; disappearing into return wall of projecting gabled bay to right.

Across front of central block, a concrete-brick paved ramp with concrete edging, rising at each side to a broad step at the front entrance, reached by another step from the similarly brick paved porte-cochere; similar bricks form low planters tight against building each side of doorway, with loose pebbled area beyond that as far as extremities of wings, all edged in concrete kerbing.

Wings to each side of central block are identical: hipped roof which projects forward over end projection containing half-timbered gable detailed as previous. One chimney each wing at end of main lateral ridge, moulded red brick as previous; unbroken ridge line, without original ventilator turrets, long since removed. First bay of each wing to each side of central block has roof swept down over shallow veranda abutting return wall of central block to one end and returning as a small hip to the other end; large square section timber post and similarly detailed timber pilasters to support veranda roof, with pegged joints at base plate over low red brick wall; shaped wooden brackets to beam over; concrete terrace within veranda; tongued and grooved ceiling to underside of veranda roof. Segmental headed doorway within veranda, comprising rectangular panelled and glazed wooden door, original, with 20 small panes, small-paned sidelights, all translucent glass incorporating some panes of blown glass; original oval door knob and circular bell push surround retained at each wing. In roof above each veranda a flat roofed dormer window; moulded eaves cornice, painted lead cheeks and front with PVC replacement two-light window, rectangular fixed light with side hung casement. Between verandahs and each end gabled projection, three windows, segmental headed, PVC fixed light with top hung vent; concrete cills as previous. Below each window at ground level metal ventilator grilles in rectangular moulded brick surrounds. Gabled end projections have two windows similar to those just described, with similar ventilators below.

West elevation: blank wall, finished as front, with roof of end bay above, gabled to front at right, hipped to rear at left. Moulded PVC gutter with centrally positioned circular PVC downpipe. At left hand extremity of red brick base courses, a cast iron angle, originally intended to protect corner of building from carts’ wheels, inscribed ‘The Millfield foundry, Belfast’. Loose stones arranged across front at ground level, contained by concrete kerb.

North elevation: from right to left, rear facade of western wing, single-storey, walls and roof materials as previous; moulded PVC gutter and PVC downpipes; two windows, original, segmental headed openings with PVC replacements as previous; rectangular doorway with modern PVC glazed fire door; red brick base courses and moulded string course extends from right hand extremity to reveal of doorway only; smooth cement rendered plinth to left of doorway. To left of doorway, large square window divided into nine square panes by PVC framing, new.

To left of that, canted two-storey bay with one window to each floor, segmental headed PVC as previous, to first floor, rectangular headed PVC as previous, to ground floor; original moulded cast iron gutter to bay, but PVC hopper and downpipe; flat roof to bay, lead covered; in main roof of wing behind, a modern flush rooflight. To left of canted bay, a narrow segmental headed window to ground floor with PVC window as previous, and rectangular doorway to first floor above, containing modern PVC fire door as previous. To left two-storey rear return of original building projects out, its side wall three windows wide to first floor, all segmental headed PVC as previous; two similar below in ground floor along with new fire doorway created by lowering the third window. Wall of rear return dry dashed as previous, with smooth rendered plinth without lower string course. Roof of rear return as previous, a continuation of roof of left hand gabled bay of entrance block on front facade, terminating at left hand extremity against raised end gable with new cement rendered coping; PVC circular section gutter and PVC downpipe; one chimney centrally placed across ridge of return, red brick with moulded cornice and string course. Rear return extended to north by modern two-storey extension in rustic brick, flush with wall of original return, with hipped red tiled roof, but otherwise in a modern rectilinear style; steel framed veranda and balcony to first floor extends along west face of extension and original return, reached by large steel stairway in angle of original rear return and west wing. End gable of rear return, facing north, dry dashed as previous.

North elevation of two-storey extension similar character to west, with single-storey wing extending to east; hipped red tiled roof and rustic brick walls as previous. Wing returns at left hand extremity around an internal courtyard to abut rear of original east wing of entrance front.

East elevation of original building: blank side wall of end bay, dry dashed as previous with red brick base courses and projecting moulded string course. Moulded cast iron gutter and circular cast iron downpipe. Loose stones contained by concrete kerb across face. Wall returns at right hand extremity dry dashed as previous until abutted by modern extension.

Setting: the building stands on an elevated site facing the road, set back from the line of neighbouring buildings which comprise an Edwardian courthouse to the west and a Victorian terrace of houses to the east. The area in front of the entrance facade is covered with tarmac with a concrete paved area immediately in front of the entrance.

Boundary walling: to the front a low wall dry dashed using blackstone chippings, with concrete coping surmounted by original wrought iron railings painted black; front boundary piers, from left to right, a pair of later rustic brick piers with concrete capstones, low curving walls with concrete copings and ornamentally treated wrought iron railings which terminate in an inner pair of new rustic brick piers; modern security gates beyond, electrically operated.

On axis with main entrance doorway, a new pedestrian gateway with square piers, new dry dash finish of small pebbles and crushed stones, new concrete capstones, linked to retaining walls of similar design and finish containing grass area and flower beds of front garden and leading up modern concrete brick steps to front entrance; free-standing square pier, dry dashed as walling, with polished granite inscription panel ‘Larne Borough Council. Smiley Buildings. AD 1993’; modern tubular metal handrail to steps. To right hand extremity of front boundary, later corner pier, square, rustic brick, with concrete capstone. Boundary to east, low dry dashed wall with small stones, in poor condition, with ramped concrete coping. Boundary to north: wooden palisading; boundary to east similar to west. The garden in front also has a ramp access way up to terrace level.

Historical information

Built and endowed as the Smiley Cottage Hospital by H.H. Smiley of Drumalis, Larne, 1902-3; architect, Nicholas Fitzsimons of Larne; builder James Ferris of Larne; foundation stone laid 18 September 1902; cost approximately £5,000. Originally the central block contained a board room, matron’s room, nurses’ dining room, with kitchen, and the wings contained wards with day rooms at the extremities, while an operating room lay at the rear. Bought by Larne Council c 1990 and refurbished in 1993; porte cochere erected 1994. The building lies in the area of a scheduled monument, no. ANT 40:35.

References - Primary

1. Irish Builder, 23 October 1902, illustrated supplement.

Secondary

1. R.M. Young, Belfast and the Province of Ulster (Brighton, 1909), p 147.
2. P. Larmour, An Edwardian Stylist (Nicholas Fitzsimons 1869-c 1945), in Perspective (The Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects), Vol 4, No 3, January/ February 1996, pp 59-61 - includes illustrations of entrance front and main entrance before alterations.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Originally this was an Edwardian building of distinct style, proportions, and plan form, designed by an important Irish architect, but it has now been significantly degraded by later alterations and additions and has lost many of its original features and most of its original character.