Holly House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey multi-bay Georgian-style dwelling erected c.1870 possibly built to designs by architect John MacHenry. L-shaped plan form with subservient two-storey abutting rear accommodation. Located at the end of Mosside Road located off Queensway, on the east side of the main Belfast to Lisburn carriage way.

Hipped natural slate roofing with clay ridge tiles; box eaves with timber fascia board and barge boards to the rear block. Smooth rendered chimneys with projected plinth and cornice detailing. Cast-iron rain water goods; ogee moulded gutters with circular downpipes. Ruled-and-lined rendered walling with continuous projected cill course to ground and first floor; moulded plinth course. 6/6 timber sliding sash with horns. Six-panelled timber door with bolection mouldings; segmental arched over-light; single-storey flat-roofed porch with chanelled walling rising to entablature.

The principal elevation faces east and is asymmetrically arranged comprising three bay elevation to the left with a projecting single-bay to the right hand side. Entrance porch located at the re-entrant of the projected bay; two windows to the right with three first floor windows directly over the ground floor openings. The east face of the projected bay is symmetrically arranged with paired ground and first floor windows.

The south elevation is symmetrically arranged with two ground floor windows with matching first floor windows directly over.

The rear elevation appears to be largely abutted by the pitched-roofed subservient block which extends beyond the north elevation; lower eaves level. The south gabled face of the subservient block is blank. The west face comprises various openings matching the principal building (view obscured); with a two-storey return located right of centre. The north facing gable is symmetrically arranged with a single centrally located ground and first floor window. The east elevation comprises a secondary entrance with timber framed slated lean-to canopy over and a first floor window directly over.

The north elevation of the main building has a single window centrally located on the first floor.

Setting:

Formerly a road side dwelling the building is now self-contained following the installation of the McKinstry Road by-pass running north-west of the site. The site is accessed via modern rendered piers with mild-steel gates. A short driveway arrives at the front entrance, beyond which lie well maintained gardens. The site is primarily bounded by trees and hedgerows which largely screen the house from public view.

Materials
Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Ruled-and-lined render
Windows 6/6 timber sliding sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

There is a building on the site on the first edition map of 1832-3. However, in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) buildings on the plot are described merely as outoffices and valued at £1. They are situated on an eight-acre plot of land occupied by John McHenry.

John MacHenry (the spelling of his surname varies in original sources) was a Civil Engineer and agent to the Hertford estates, architect of Lisburn’s Orange Hall in 1870. He also designed Lisburn courthouse (now gone) and is thought to have been supervising architect for Sir Richard Wallace’s Lisburn residence, Castle House (HB19/13/004). (www.dia.ie)

The map and field evidence suggests that the structures on the site were replaced or extended and remodelled c1870. It is possible that the John MacHenry himself was the architect.

John MacHenry and his wife Elizabeth raised a large family of eight children in the house, all of whom survived to adulthood. His daughters Sarah and Lily married in 1895, their weddings leading to the first mention of ‘Holly House’ in the available original source material. (Belfast Newsletter) By the time of the 1901 census John MacHenry was 70 and describes himself as a farmer. His younger children, a son and two daughters are still resident at the house. MacHenry died in 1904 leaving the house to his wife, Elizabeth, who is living there at the time of the 1911 census with her three children, her son now working as a clerk. Elizabeth lived at Holly House until her death in 1915. (Will of Elizabeth MacHenry) The house was occupied by the younger John MacHenry, now also a farmer, until 1940. (Will of John MacHenry)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/64/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-3
2. PRONI OS/6/1/64/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/1/64/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
4. PRONI OS/6/1/64/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1
5. PRONI OS/6/1/64/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1920-31
6. PRONI OS/6/1/64/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1920-39
7. PRONI Will of John MacHenry, died 6th September 1904
8. PRONI Will of Elizabeth MacHenry, died 3rd January 1915
9. PRONI Will of John MacHenry, died 20th August 1940
10. Griffith’s Valuation online (1856-64)
11. 1901 census online
12. 1911 census online
13. Belfast Newsletter, 21st February 1895
14. Belfast Newsletter, 16th July 1895

Secondary Sources

1. www.dia.ie – Dictionary of Irish Architects online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two-storey multi-bay dwelling erected c.1870, with an asymmetrical plan, possibly built to designs by architect John MacHenry, where his family also resided. The well proportioned exterior has retained some of its historic detailing and fabric although the windows and roof slates were replaced with inappropriate materials c.2015. Originally a roadside dwelling, the public road alterations to the rear has enclosed the site to form a more secluded setting. The building is of local interest, but the addition of a substantial two-storey flat-roofed extension c.2015 detracts from the quality of the setting and this, coupled with the significant loss of character due to replacement materials means that the building does not meet the test for listing.

General comments

FILE PA'd 16/04/15