St Joseph’s Convent Primary School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Nineteen twenties school in rustic brick, with Dutch Arts and Crafts detailing, on a corner site between Edward Street and Catherine Street.

Consists of two main blocks (classrooms and entrance) and two subsidiary blocks (link block and toilets). Rectangular classroom block is to south running west to east, it is abutted to north by the link block which is an inverted T in plan and also abuts the sough side of the entrance block. Entrance block is rectangular in plan (running parallel with classroom block) and is abutted to north by the T planned toilet block.

Both main blocks have pitched natural slate roofs with overhanging eaves with boxed soffits on moulded timber brackets. Cast iron rainwater goods are ogee moulded with circular down pipes. Both subsidiary blocks have flat in-situ cast concrete roofs behind parapet walls. All walls are rustic red brick laid in an English garden bond on a moulded stepped ashlar granite basecourse. All windows are plastic (unless otherwise stated) replacements (original ones steel) but follow original glazing pattern; have soldier coursed brick heads and stooled projecting granite cills.

Classroom block has a large bronze louvred vent with roof swept up to a spiked finial. Each gable has a chamfered concrete coping. Walls have decorative pseudo-quoins to each corner. These are formed by recessing a course of three bricks every fifth course. Between ground and first floor is a string course of three alternate recessed brick courses. South elevation is divided equally into three bays (reflecting internal divisions), by two downpipes. Between ground and first floor are attached plastic letters ‘ St. Joseph’s Convent Primary School’. Each floor of central bay has three 4X5 windows. Each floor to left and right bays is identical and contains a central 8X5 window flanked by 3X5 windows. West and east gables are devoid of openings but for louvred timber vents to attic. North elevation is abutted by the link block, with only small sections of wall to left right and over link block roof remaining exposed.

Link block is an inverted T plan, with its north and south elevations abutting main blocks. Right third of the west elevation is advanced forward (at join with classroom block), and has a 4X5 window to ground floor and a 4X3 window to first floor. The cheek is blank and the left two thirds contains a 6X5 window to ground floor and a 6X3 window to first floor, the wall around this window has been rebuilt and window has no soldier course head. Left third of the east elevation is advanced forward (at join with classroom block), and is devoid opening. All windows to this elevation are stained timber. Cheek of raised section has two 4X5 window to ground floor and two 43 windows to first floor. Right first floor window has been removed and a pair of modern painted timber and glazed escape doors inserted (to a metal fire stair). The remaining section of east wall (not recessed) has a 6X5 window to ground floor and a 6X3 window to first floor, the wall around this window has been rebuilt and window has no soldier course to head.

Toilet block is T planned and its south wall abuts entrance block. North wall has a central six panelled stop-end chamfered door with a 3X2 transom over. To first floor, in line with door is a 3X3 window.

Right ¾ of east elevation is advanced and has three 2X5 window to ground floor and three 2X3 windows to first floor. Cheek is blank and abutted to ground floor bay a single storey service block. Remaining ¼ (not advanced), at join with entrance block, has a high 3X2 window to ground floor (with roof of service block acting as cill) and a 3X3 window to first floor.

Service block south wall abuts between the entrance block and its west wall abuts the toilet block. It has a flat in-situ concrete roof behind a parapet. North and east walls are brick with a small glazed louvred window to east and a sheeted door to north. At corner join with toilets a tall chimney rises up toilet block wall and terminates above its roof with a concrete copping.

Playground to all sides is enclosed by plain gates and railings to Catherine Street and by ornate symmetrical gates and railings to Edward Street. These have ashlar dressed rustic brick piers with shallow pyramidal heads. The base of each pier continues as the basecourse of the railings. Railings are plainly spiked and linked bay wrought iron open urn topped piers. Recessed central pair of gates is of a similar design. Railings have an additional layer of modern spiked attached along top.

To rear playground is a large shelter with segmental headed corrugated metal roof held by steel beams, with t+g sheeted eaves, cut to a point for decorative effect.

Historical information

Copland of Newry constructed this building in 1926 to designs by Frank R.A Conway (Arch.), Belfast. Railings are by Messrs James McCullough, Belfast. First cited in valuation revision book of 1930 and noted as “public elementary school”. Extensions in 1930s. Windows replaced c1995 to original glazing pattern (principal states).

Sources:

1. School headmistress (1998).
2. PRONI – VAL 12B/22/18D, p.70.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An assured set piece of public architecture from the early twentieth century. Basically a Beaux-Arts symmetrical composition, freestyle with Classical and International style influences intermixed. Generally intact inside and out, including boundary walls and railings.