58 Hill Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey (+ attic) Gothic Revival building east facing on corner of Hill Street and Marcus Square. The entrance facade is to Hill Street, with a second facade to Marcus Square combined by imaginative corner detailing.

Roof is gabled and artificial slated with terracotta ridges and leaded parapet gutters.

Walls to both facades are lined cement render with chamfered base course and some granite detailing. Each floor has a banded, foliated colonette to its Hill Street/ Marcus Square corner.

HILL STREET ELEVATION

Main entrance is to ground floor right. It consists of a pair of large modern timber doors set within a deeply recessed, stop-end chamfered Gothic headed opening. Gothic head is infilled with a circular lime render transom panel. This panel is inscribed with 'Belfast Banking Co. Limited'. Between panel and door is a fascia advertising the owner affixed to a modern roller shutter box. On elevation over arch head is a projecting gabled canopy supported on consoles and short paired colonettes. Each console is run-moulded render with a foliated drop-finial. Each colonette (second of each pair is set behind the first) has a chamfered plinth, and a foliated head. To either side of gable, at eaves level is a concave cornice. Main section of gable is filled with the doorway arch, the (gable head) is decorated in diaper work and breaks first floor cill level. Gable ridge is decorated on either side by three gables.

To left at ground floor is a three paned (central one infilled with a blue painted panel) fixed timber window with leaded Gothic transom (with quatrefoil motif). Window is set within in a Gothic headed opening, with canted flush granite cill. Its jamb is chamfered and to either side is a slender foliated colonette which rises to just below spring of arch level. Each colonette is banded and has a foliated head. The construction of these colonettes is unusual, they seem to be render on a metal core. The window head is roll-mould chamfered and has a plain hood mould with foliated label stops. A foliated stringcourse links the colonettes of the window and the main entrance. In spandrel to left of the window head is a plain render roll-mould chamfered roundel.

The centre of the main elevation at ground floor is dominated by a canted pier rising to a cusped gablet, the head of which touches the foliated string course (rising around pier) which runs across facade. Above the stringcourse the pier supports three truncated, foliated colonettes (with foliated drop-finials to either side). Resting on the colonettes is the run-moulded corbelled base of the first floor oriel. The head of the colonette on the Hill Street/ Marcus Square corner meets the stringcourse which crosses the elevation. In wall between the pier and the main entrance is an automated teller machine. To left of ground floor window is a projecting plastic sign advertising occupant.

First floor is symmetrical, consisting of a canted oriel in centre of facade with a single window on either side. Walls are lined render with moulded stringcourse between first and second floor level and a chamfered corner to left with banded foliated colonette inset as ground floor. Oriel has a 1/1 sliding sash window (with grill over) to each cheek. Each window has a chamfered cill with run-moulded cill course. Each window has a rectangular apron panel below cill level. The front panel has three quatrefoils inset, each side panel has two quatrefoils (similar panels in the oriel parapet at second floor level). The windows to wall either side of oriel are identical. Each is 1/1 sliding sash (top pane is Gothic headed) set within a stop-end chamfered, Gothic headed opening. Opening has a chamfered cill, moulded cill course (shared with oriel), and apron panel (as front of oriel) below, right window has no apron panel as head of doorway rises from below. Each has a grill over and a run-moulded hood mould with foliated label tops. Between first and second floors is a moulded stringcourse.

Walls at second floor are lined render with a continuous cill course and a stringcourse (rises as a hood mould over each window). This storey has two windows on either side of oriel roof. Each window is 2/2 (vertically divided) sliding sash within a Gothic headed, chamfered opening; below each cill is an apron panel inset with four quatrefoils. In the spandrel on either side of each window head is a roll-moulded roundel panel.

Oriel roof is lean-to, canted, steeply pitched and natural slated. Its ridge terminates at stringcourse level. The parapet is coped and in line with the moulded cill course. Each canted face of the parapet has an apron panel detailed as those below oriel windows. There is a stringcourse between second floor and attic level.

Attic has a central gabled dormer rising from the wall head. It has a run-moulded eaves cornice with knee stone and two gablets up each side of ridge. It is topped by a truncated octagonal pinnacle. Gable is inset with a pair of small (compared to those on rest of elevation) two paned modern timber casement windows set within Gothic headed openings (head is rendered with decorative render roundel). Each has a chamfered reveal and a decorative cast iron Gothic balconette resting on a projecting cill (supported on four moulded brackets, with holes punched through). Over the pair of windows is a shared hood mould. In spandrel over windows is a roundel panel inset with a blind quatrefoil. Gable head is decorated in diaper work.

On either side of gable dormer are parapet walls, with stepped copping. Each terminating with an octagonal pinnacles to each corner. Pinnacles are terminated in octagonal spires with ball finials. The pinnacle to the left is part missing. Walls behind parapet rise to eaves level of central dormer and are slate hung (artificial slates).

MARCUS SQUARE ELEVATION

Details at ground floor are as façade, chamfered base course, corner colonette to right, foliated string course to window head level, roundel panels in each window spandrel and plat band between ground and first floor level. There is a door to left and four equally spaced windows to rest. Narrow door is stained timber and sixteen panelled, it has a Gothic head and is set with a chamfered, Gothic headed opening. Windows are detailed exactly as ground floor window to Hill Street façade.

First floor walls are lined render with moulded cill course, plat band between first and second floors, and banded colonette to right corner. There are five windows. That to left is narrow and in line with door below, other four are in line with ground floor windows. All are 1/1 sliding sashes and detailed as windows on Hill St facade. The area between ground floor plat band and first floor cill course contains five grilles as Hill St Façade. The second and third from left are covered with a fascia. Over the first and third windows from the right are deep run-moulded corbel brackets rising to stringcourse level and supporting balconettes to second floor.

At second floor wall is lined render with moulded cill course, stringcourse at window head level (rising over each as a hood mould) and stringcourse between second floor and attic level. There is also a colonette to right corner and a roundel panel in each window spandrel. There are five windows in line with those to the first floor, all 2/2 sliding sashes except the narrow opening to the left, which has a top-hung casement. The first and third window from the right have projecting balconettes with fretted quatrefoils panels to front of each cheek and moulded parapet at cill level.

Attic has a gabled dormer similar to Hill Street façade rising from the wall head, centred over second window from the right. It has a run-moulded eaves cornice and knee stones and two gablets up each side of ridge. It is topped by a truncated octagonal pinnacle. Gable is inset with a pair of small (compared to those on rest of elevation) two paned modern timber casement windows set within Gothic headed openings (head is rendered with decorative render quatrefoil). Each has a chamfered reveal and a decorative cast iron Gothic balconette resting on a projecting cill (supported on four moulded brackets, with holes punched through). Over the pair of windows is a shared hood mould. In spandrel over windows is a roundel panel inset with a blind quatrefoil. Gable head is decorated in diaper work.

On either side of gable dormer are parapet walls (that to left is longer), with stepped coping . Each terminating with an octagonal pinnacles to each corner, left parapet has an additional pinnacle (to balance the composition). Pinnacles are terminated in octagonal spires with ball finials. The pinnacles to the left and right are partially missing. The cheeks to the gabled dormers have small modern doors leading to each parapet gutter.

Right gable is party wall with adjacent property with remaining wall plain cement render.

Rear elevation is gabled and rendered. It is abutted, up to attic gable level by a three storey, thin return with shallow lean-to roof. Abutting this are two other three storey returns. Left one is gabled, that to right has a mono-pitch roof. All returns are rendered with artificial slate roofs. Filling the ground floor between the returns, and projecting beyond their gables is a modern flat roofed extension.

Rear wall of main block has a 2/2 sliding sash window to attic gable. Shallow return has two modern casements to left at second floor (one over right pitch of left return roof) and two windows to first floor (right and centre).

Rear wall of ground floor extension is rendered with four modern timber windows and a sheet metal security door to right. Left return (its floor levels are at 1/2 landing of main block) has two windows in its rear wall, both are 2/2 sliding sashes, one to left of first floor and another to centre of second floor. Its left cheek abuts adjacent property and on its right cheek are three second floor windows, all are 2/2 sliding sashes. Right return (floor level is 1/2 landing level of main block) has two large 6/6 sliding sash windows, one to first and one to second floor. Its right cheek abuts adjacent property and its left cheek is blank.

Rear yard is enclosed by high rendered walls.

Historical information

Built by Belfast Banking company c1890. Erected by Alexander Wheelan, builder, Newry. Architect was W.J.Watson.

Primary sources:
1. Irish Builder, vol. 32, p.147 (15 June 1890).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Three storey (+ attic) building forming an interesting exercise in Gothic Revival. Occupies an important corner site with two facades detailed to take full advantage of this prominent location.