84 Hamilton Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single-bay two-storey mid-terrace cottage, built c.1869 as a cottage hospital and converted into three dwellings in 1912, located to the south of Hamilton Road, Bangor. Square-on-plan with projecting porch and single-storey return with conservatory to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and overhanging sheeted eaves. Tall rectangular brick and render chimneystacks with six decorative terracotta pots. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods, plastic rainwater goods to rear return. Walling is Flemish bonded red brick with cement quoins and plinth. Windows are paired 1/1 timber sliding sash with horns having sandstone sills: gabled dormers to first floor: hood mouldings to ground floor.

The principal elevation faces north-west and is symmetrically arranged with two window openings to each floor and a central projecting porch. Porch comprises segmental timber door with cast-iron door furniture in chamfered brick reveal having flat brick lintel; lit to north-east and south-west by slender round-headed windows.

North-east elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB23/05/007C.

South-east (rear) gable has single window opening to first floor, and a single opening to left at ground floor; abutted by single-storey return having window openings to exposed sections; further abutted by modern timber conservatory.

South-west elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB23/05/007A.

Setting
The terrace is situated to the north entrance of Ward Park beside the Carnegie library (HB23/05/006) and is set back slightly from the road; paved to front with hedgerow to all sides and a cast-iron entrance gate. To rear there is a small yard, enclosed by a masonry and brick wall and accessed by a simple timber gate.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Brick
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

This terrace of three dwellings started life as Bangor Cottage Hospital, dated by Patton to 1869 (Patton, p.96), although he provides no supporting evidence.

The building first appears in valuation records in 1881 when it is listed as a ‘Hospital’ but mistakenly not given a valuation. However, it seems that the hospital was first established in 1869 by Harriet Ward, and escaped the attention of the valuers for some years. It was closed on the opening of the Castle Street hospital in 1910. (Patton, p.96)

The 1885-6 Medical Annual and Practitioners’ Index states that Bangor Cottage Hospital has 6 beds and admission is by payment of 5s weekly.

It is first shown on the third edition Ordnance Survey map of 1901 captioned ‘Cottage Hospital & Home’ and in 1909 is described in the valuation records as ‘Bangor Cottage Hospital’. However, by 1912, the hospital had been converted into three dwellings, all valued at £7 and leased from Bangor Urban District Council. In 1912 the house is occupied by George Reynolds. According to a newspaper advertisement of June 1985 the houses had been let in the past to Council employees on Service Tenancies.

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/2/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
2.PRONI OS/6/3/2/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-26
3.PRONI OS/6/3/2/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
4.PRONI VAL/12/B/23/7A-K – Annual Revisions (1866-99)
5.PRONI VAL/12/B/23/9A-S – Annual Revisions (1900-1930)
6.PRONI VAL/12/E/129/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plans (c.1864-1899)
7.PRONI VAL/12/E/129/2 – Annual Revisions Town Plans (1898-c.1916)
8.Medical Annual and Practitioners’ Index 1885-6

Secondary Sources

1.Newspaper advertisement of June 1985, available in NIEA file HB23/05/007C
2.Patton, M, “Bangor, An Historical Gazetteer” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1999

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A single-bay, two-storey, terraced, brick, cottage, built c.1869. Part of a group that was formerly a cottage hospital established by Harriet Ward, it was converted to cottages in 1912 by Bangor Urban District Council. The detailing is largely intact albeit rather plain reflecting the original use as a cottage hospital. Although much of the interior has been modernised, as a whole the group represents a type that is becoming rare. Its social and historic interest as a former cottage hospital established by the Ward family is of note, as is its conversion to council housing.

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered it was previously recorded as HB23/05/007