Castle Buildings

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Corner-sited three-storey redbrick and stucco-fronted commercial building, built c.1890, with three bays to its south elevation onto Castle Street, a single-bay corner elevation facing Market Square, a seven bay west elevation facing Railway Street and an original shopfront spanning entire ground floor. Three-bay two-storey redbrick wing to east is accessed from Castle Buildings (Roy Ervine).

Hipped natural slate roof hidden behind balustraded parapet wall interrupted by squat chimney piers with cornice and chimney pots, rising from a continuous cornice below. Redbrick walling laid in Flemish bond with series of full-height rendered pilasters, channel-rusticated to the first floor, interrupted by a continuous sill course to the second floor, surmounted by deep moulded continuous cornice and continuing as profiled squat piers/chimneys to the parapet. Square-headed window openings to the first floor with architrave surrounds, painted masonry sills and original 2/2 timber sash windows with horizontal glazing bars. Segmental-headed window openings to second floor with single-pane timber sash windows (some with horizontal glazing bars).

Seven-bay to Railway Street, single corner bay and three-bay to Castle Street. Stucco-fronted shopfront spanning both elevations comprising series of full-height display windows (some timber transoms and mullions) on moulded plinth course, flanked by large full-height piers supporting continuous fascia and cornice above. The single-bay chamfered corner provides the principal entrance with architrave surround and double-leaf glazed doors with iron gate to the street. First and second floor office accommodation accessed via entrance on Castle Street; three-centred arched door opening with timber door case comprising timber door with four flat panels flanked by pair of Ionic fluted columns on replacement bases supporting lintel cornice with Greek key pattern and glazed fanlight above, raised lettering above doorcase ‘CASTLE CHAMBERS’. Separate shop unit to Railway Street accessed via recess in shopfront with tiled floor and pair of angled door openings having glazed timber doors and overlights, enclosed by pair of steel gates to the street.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Redbrick
Windows Timber sash

Historical information

A history of the firm states that Castle Buildings was built in 1890 for Alexander Boyd and Company to designs by George Sands, a local architect responsible for several schools and shops in the area. Annual Revisions list Castle Buildings in the fieldbook dating from 1890 to 1901 as occupied by Alexander Boyd & Co Ltd and leased from Samuel Musgrave M.D. It is a shop, offices, stores and yard and is initially valued at £95. Over the ensuing years there are fluctuations in value, for example, in 1901 a deduction is made because the third floor has been let to ‘masonic body’. (Boyd’s of Castle Buildings)

Previously on the site was a house and dispensary owned by Samuel Musgrave, a well-known figure in the town, whose father had also been a doctor and was tried as a supporter of the United Irishmen. Alexander Boyd started his business c1860 and in the years prior to opening Castle Buildings occupied several premises in Lisburn. His business ranged over a wide field, ‘druggist, grocer, wine merchant, spirit dealer and insurance agent.’ He was also an active freemason. In 1872 he took on James A Hanna as an assistant and by 1878 had virtually handed over the business to him. On his death in 1879 the business was taken over by Boyd’s brother-in-law, James Alister, and continued to be run by Hanna. The business prospered and in 1890 George Sands was commissioned to design the new premises, the contractors being Messrs D and P McHenry. (Boyd’s of Castle Buildings)

Bass states that a contemporary reporter described the buildings as “One of the must complete, extensive and ornate establishments to be found in any provincial town in Ireland” and goes on to describe the interior, “Castle Buildings was truly a magnificent achievement. The shops were finished in pitch-pine, the elaborate fittings being of oak, walnut, mahogany and ebony with mirror panels. Electric lighting was used - quite an innovation; eight arc lamps of 1,000 candlepower, six of them outside the building, were supplied with current from a generator driven by a Crossley gas engine. (Boyd’s of Castle Buildings)

Interior lighting was from wrought iron gas brackets, there were speaking tubes in the shops to the stores upstairs and a hand-operated hoist was used for the movement of goods to and from the two large stores on the first and second floors. The goods entrance was from Railway Street, using part of the present Pharmacy and there was a stable on the first floor in a store in the yard, access being by a wooden ramp. The gas engine had a heavy stone wheel which was started by hand. Hector Hanna, elder son of James A. Hanna, recalls that his father used to start the wheel himself and came home with his veins swollen by the strain. The old wheel is still to be seen in Castle Buildings yard.” (Boyd’s of Castle Buildings)

The shop was apparently constructed in twelve months, which Bass feels to be an astonishingly short period for a building of such craftsmanship. The shop operated as a grocer’s and pharmacy with a tonic wine business that operated until changes in the licensing laws in 1924 and a coal business that was opened in 1921. At its height Boyd’s was the pre-eminent store in Lisburn and beyond and ”in 1941 the Duke of Abercorn, Governor of Northern Ireland, transferred his patronage from the Bank Buildings Grocery department in Belfast to Boyd's. Boyd's were officially appointed suppliers to the Duke and thus began an association with Government House which was to remain unbroken until 1973 when the office of Governor was abolished and Lord Grey left the province. On two occasions presentation boxes of chocolates were specially manufactured for Boyd's by Rowntree's and presented to Government House for use during royal visits.” (Boyd’s of Castle Buildings)

James Alister and James Hanna do not appear to have been on good terms with each other and eventually Alister sold his shareholding to Hanna who became, in effect, the owner of the company. Hanna became prominent in the community in Lisburn, becoming a member of Lisburn Urban District Council from 1900 to 1920. He was a prime mover in the establishment of Lisburn Technical School and a Governor of the County Antrim Infirmary. Hanna’s son, James Gorman Hanna became a Director of the company in 1913 and increasingly took over the day to day running of the business until his father died in 1920, when he inherited the business. J.G. Hanna was also a prominent public figure and like his father was a member of the committee of the County Antrim Infirmary but he was also chairman of the Lisburn and Belfast Regional Education Committee, a Governor of Wallace High School and a Trustee of the Thompson Memorial Home. On J.G. Hanna’s death in 1973 the grocery business was disposed of and transferred to J. T. Green & Sons of Bow Street. (Boyd’s of Castle Buildings)

The shop portion of Castle Buildings was then let to Frederick Thomas, Ltd., as a toy and pram shop and all the interior fittings were replaced. The first and second floor stores were converted into suites of offices, the old stairs becoming an internal fire escape. Frederick Thomas Ltd continue to occupy the shop to the present day and the offices, now termed ‘Castle Chambers’ house a variety of businesses. (Boyd’s of Castle Buildings)
The Pharmacy continued to operate in Castle Buildings until 1988 and is now a men’s clothier. (Mackey, p.18)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/68/3 – Third Edition OS Map c1900
2. PRONI OS/6/1/68/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1921
3. PRONI OS/6/1/68/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/9A-T – Annual Revisions (1863-1924)
5. PRONI VAL/12/E/40/1/ – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1877-c1898)
6. PRONI VAL/12/E/40/2/ – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1898-c1907)
7. PRONI VAL/12/E/40/4 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1907-c1927)

Secondary Sources
1. Bass, H.G. “Boyd’s of Castle Buildings, Lisburn: A Short History of an Old Family Firm” Lisburn: 1977 (available at www.lisburn.com)
2. Mackey, Brian “Lisburn, the Town and its People, 1873-1973” Belfast: Blackstaff Press, 2000

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

An early twentieth-century multi-bay three-storey brick commercial building by local architect George Sands. This building displays good style and proportions and retains most external and internal features, particularily an original stucco fronted shopfront which spans the entire ground floor of the building. Set on a prominent corner site, overlooking Market Square the chamfered corner bay and decorative balustraded parapet successfully link Castle Street to Railway Street. The building, formerly Boyd’s of Castle Buildings, once the pre-eminent store in Lisburn with the Duke of Abercorn, former Governor of Northern Ireland, in the past being among its patrons, makes an important contribution to the architectural heritage of Lisburn.