158 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A semi-detached three-bay two-storey with dormered attic red-brick Victorian house, built c.1890 and located east of Old Belfast Road on the outskirts of Holywood town centre. Square on plan with two-storey extension to rear under cat-slide roof; canted and box bay to front and canted bay to south; detached outbuilding to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with decorative terracotta ridge tiles and red brick chimneystacks; timber eaves board on bracketed eaves and decorative bargeboard to gable. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods with hopper. Walling is Flemish-bonded red brick; continuous moulded sill to first floor. Windows are 1/1 timber-framed sliding sash; segmental-headed to first floor with voussoir heads; bay windows have continuous painted stone lintels and continuous sills topped with moulded architraves and cornice; two Dutch-style gabled dormers with ball finials and slate-hung cheeks.

The principal elevation faces west and is symmetrically arranged. Paired windows to first floor left and right, over box bay to left and canted bay to right. Single window over entrance comprising six-panelled timber door having brass door furniture and surmounted by plain fanlight; door surround is recessed with brick voussoirs over, comprising two polished granite colonnettes with moulded stone bands to wall and supported on stepped stone plinth; surmounted by round-headed arch with stone detailing and moulded plinths; carved head stops at springing level. Entrance accessed by four masonry steps enclosed by dwarf wall.

The north elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB23/19/026B.

The east (rear) elevation has two-storey extension under cat-slide roof to right; having three timber-framed window openings to first floor (ground floor is concealed); south elevation has 1/1 window to first floor. To left is single-storey lean-to with chimney rising from wall above.

The south elevation has window to left and canted bay to right at ground floor; window to first floor left and paired windows to right; two round-headed diminutive windows to attic; to left is raised chimney flue terminating in decorative corbel bracket at left attic window.

Setting

Set on a slightly elevated site with lawned garden to front and rear enclosed by mature hedgerow. Entrance has two brick gate piers with pointed masonry caps and early decorative cast-iron gates. One-and-a-half storey outbuilding to rear yard, having slated hipped roof with terracotta ridge tiles and decorative bargeboard; west elevation has wall-head dormer (ground floor concealed); south elevation has vented window over roller garage door; two diminutive windows to east elevation. Rear yard enclosed by partially stepped red brick wall with two tall brick gate piers having sandstone bands and pointed caps; supporting modern timber-sheeted gates.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: brick
Windows: timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The area to the south of Holywood first began to be developed towards the end of the nineteenth century and a number of large houses in spacious grounds are shown for the first time on the third edition map of 1900-02 including the current semi-detached pair. The present building could not be located in valuation records before 1900, but appears on visual inspection to date from c1890.

The first occupier to be noted in the present house was James Butler Futtit in 1900. Futtit was a commission agent from Tipperary and lived with his wife, two step-children, a niece and nephew and a general domestic servant. His stepson was working as a linen factory manager and his niece as a National School teacher. His nephew was a mercantile clerk. In the 1911 census Futtit lists his occupation as ‘yarn commission agent’. His stepson is now working as a commercial clerk in yarns and his niece remains a school teacher. The stepdaughter and nephew are no longer present but a music teacher from Belfast is visiting. The family continue to retain a single domestic servant. Philippa Futtit, the widow of James, is the occupier by 1919 and she becomes the immediate lessor by 1924. (1901, 1911 census; Annual Revisions)

The house remains in use as a domestic dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
2. PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
3. PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
5. PRONI VAL/12/E/93/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1919-c1935)
6. 1901 census online
7. 1911 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A semi-detached three-bay two-storey-with-attic, red-brick Victorian house, built c.1860. The exterior has proportions and detailing typical of the Victorian style. Although worthy of record but it is of a late date and not of special interest.