Merville House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical two storey four bay stucco house, built c.1840, restored c.2005, now in use as Merville Garden Village community centre. Rectangular on plan with projecting left bay, facing east; substantial single storey flat roofed porch; rear elevation is completely abutted by a contemporary office block extension.

Roof is hipped natural slate; tall painted rendered chimneystacks with corbelled caps; concealed gutters with cast iron square-in-section downpipes. Walling is painted render over projecting plinth; corners of principal elevation and projecting bay are articulated by pilaster strips; cavetto moulded sill course at first floor level and parapet over moulded cornice with leaded coping. Windows are 1/1 replacement timber sashes throughout with moulded stucco architraves to principal elevation only; stepped rendered sills to ground floor windows.

Principal elevation left bay projects and is two windows wide to each floor; bay two is abutted by the porch to ground floor, with single window above; bay three projects slightly and has a window with narrow detached sidelights to each floor; bay four has two windows to each floor. The porch comprises pedestal course supporting pilasters with decorative capitals; plain entablature and leaded parapet over; principal entrance to centre has double-leaf two panel door (elongated top panel and small bolection moulded bottom panel) with large brass knobs set between panels; flanking sidelights have narrow sashes; single window to each cheek.

South elevation has a full height canted bay with a window to each cheek separated by pilasters; those to ground floor have simple moulded capitals and are surmounted by a dentil cornice; those to first floor have decorative capitals surmounted by moulded cornice.

Rear elevation completely abutted.

North elevation has two windows to each floor.

The house is set at the east end of Merville Garden Village; flats overlook the building on all but the east side; there is a gravel forecourt with modern nursing home set on what remains of a former terraced garden which formerly overlooked Belfast Lough.

Roof: Hipped natural slate
Walling: Painted rendered
Windows: 1/1 replacement timber sashes
Rainwater goods: Concealed gutters; cast-iron downpipes

Historical information

The current Merville House was built c.1840 as a frontal addition to an early eighteenth century manor house which was demolished in 2005. Information from the Merville House Resident’s Association states that the original house was a five-bay, two-storey gentleman’s residence of rubble stone construction with earthen floors sealed in wood.

The architect was Thomas Jackson, architect of St Malachy’s Church in Belfast and of the neighbouring gate lodge for Longwood. According to the Irish Architectural Archive, Jackson was employed by Major John Rowan. Among those to live at Merville were Sir Edward Coey, former mayor of Belfast. The last family to use Merville House as a residence was the Robinson family, of the bacon curing empire. The house and grounds were requisitioned for military use during the Second World War, after which it was sold for development to Ulster Garden Villages Ltd. Merville Garden Village (HB21/06/004A) was then constructed around the house, and was retained as a community centre for residents. Several remnants of the historic demesne were retained and incorporated into the estate layout, including the eighteenth century walled garden, now in use as allotments.

The house was remodelled again in the late nineteenth century, following a fire c.1890. The staircase dates from this period.

By 2000 Merville House had fallen into a state of decay, and in 2002 Merville House Limited was formed in order to secure the refurbishment and continued existence of the building as an integral part of the Garden Village. As well as a community facility and commercial annex, the Merville House now houses the Merville Society for Arts, Culture and Heritage. The settlement was designated a Conservation Area in 1995.

A sale notice posted in the Belfast News Letter of March 1, 1800, advertises the sale of “The dwelling-houfe, Farm, Garden, Offices &c of Merville, White-houfe, near Belfaft, at present inhabited by J. Brown.”

It describes the house thus:
“The houfe has a neat and elegant Elevation, is new, and of moderate Conftruction, being built in the year 1795, it confifts of Drawing-room, Parlour, Kitchen, with every Convenience, feven Bed Chambers, with two Dreffing rooms, and the Accommodation of Back-ftairs, and is in every refpect eligible for a moderate family. The yard contains complete ftalled ftabling for fix horfef, two large coach houfef, Hay-lofts, Piggery, Poultry yard, and a pump abundantly fupplied with Water – The Grden is 1 ½ Acre, Irifh Meafure, enclofed with a Wall..copioufly ftored with every Thing requifit for a complete Fruit, Flower and Kitchen Garden.

And setting:
“ The Profpect if Beautiful, the fituation three milef from Belfaft, and five from Carrickferguf, and the neighbourhood tranquil and induftriouf – Held by Leafe from the Marquif Donegall for 31 yeares and Three Lives.”

The 1857 OS map shows the current house without bay to south, and with a bowed bay to principal elevation; there are two substantial returns to rear and extensive outbuildings, and substantial formally planted gardens to rear. The central avenue which remains as the spine of Merville Garden Village is also shown, running down the centre of the gardens.

Griffiths Valuation values the buildings at £115, with immediate lessor one Robert Jas Tennent, held in fee.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/57/2 - 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1857)
2. PRONI VAL 2B/1/13A Griffiths Valuation fieldbook (1857)
3. Belfast News Letter, 1 March, 1800

Secondary Sources

1. Department of the Environment (NI) 'Merville Garden Village Conservation Area'. Department of the Environment (NI) (nd.)
2. Irish Architectural Archive. ‘Dictionary of Irish Architects’ [Internet Source] Available from: Accessed 20/05/09
3. Information provided by Merville Resident’s Association

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H+. Alterations enhancing the building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An asymmetrical two storey four bay stucco house, built c.1850, extended in the 1890s and restored c.2000. Merville House is a nineteenth century house constructed to designs of Thomas Jackson, originally built as an principal block to an early eighteenth century house, now demolished. The house is asymmetrical with restrained classical detailing, and was remodelled in the late 19th century. The recent extensive refurbishment has been sympathetic, with much original detailing retained. The house is a significant building, retaining much of interest, and an important part of the history of Merville Garden Village (HB21/06/004A). Many of its original landscape features have been incorporated into the planned layout of the estate.

General comments

Renumbered previously HB21/06/005