Garage ('Phillips Garage')

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, single storey, timber (commercial) garage apparently originally built [?]c.1890-1900 as a stable. The building is set on the E side of Victoria Avenue, Whitehead.

The building is relatively small, measuring roughly 10m x 7.8 but with a substantial (and probably later) wedge-shaped extension to the rear. The front gable faces roughly W and is largely taken up with a large vehicle entrance with a timber sliding door. Above this door (to the shallow gable) ‘PHILLIPS GARAGE, SALES & SERVICE’ is spelt out in what the owner says is gold leaf [it certainly looks like gold leaf]. Two projecting lights to gable. The other elevations could not be seen but internal evidence shows that these are in timber with two (relatively large) windows to N and two more to the rear (on the extension). The curved roof is felt-covered.

Historical information

This property was originally built [?c.1890-1900] as a stable, later [?c.1915-20] becoming a commercial garage.

References- Secondary sources
1 Information supplied by the present owner (December 2002)

The Belfast truss was developed in the mid-nineteenth century to meet the demand for efficient, lightweight and long span roofs brought about by the industrial revolution. A detailed description of the historical development of the Belfast truss is included in the record for HB18/08/139. In brief, the first known reference to a curved wooden felted roof structure supported by bowstring girders is in an advertisement in the Dublin Builder for 1866 by the Belfast firm of felt-makers, McTear & Co. McTear’s continued making trusses until they went out of business in 1908.

A second Belfast felt supplier, Anderson & Co., began to produce trusses, to a slightly different design, in 1886. In 1896, Anderson’s launched their Mk II version; promoted as maximising long spans whilst maintaining light weight. This model was subsequently used by other companies, and is referred to by historians as the Belfast truss, although this term is widely used to apply to all timber bowstring trusses where the internal bracing members meet not on the bottom of the truss as was the convention but on the top curved member.

The building was demolished in mid 2006.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Evaluation at 18.10.2006: The building has been demolished.

Evaluation at Dec 2002: Small, single storey, timber (commercial) garage apparently originally built [?]c.1890-1900 as a stable. The wedge-shaped rear section appears to be a later addition. A very good example of a small Belfast Truss-roofed building, still largely intact. The stamp on the trusses adds additional interest.

General comments

Surveyed as part of the Belfast Roof Truss survey.