1 Stewart's Place

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A street-fronted three-storey two-bay house, built c.1850 located in Stewart’s Place, Holywood. The house is square-on-plan with curved south-east corner, and is abutted by a two-storey derelict public house to west. The house is one of a pair with HB23/20/021, 3 Stewart’s Place.

Roof is pitched natural slate with hipped corner, angled ridge and hip tiles. There is a rendered chimneystack with moulded cap to north gable. Remnants of half-round gutters over slightly projecting eaves on paired brackets; cast-iron downpipes. Walling is ruled-and-lined painted render over a chamfered plinth with string course between ground and first floor; the curved corner is slightly recessed. Windows are boarded to principal elevations, all set within stucco architrave surrounds with keyblock and projecting masonry cills (on brackets to first floor); north (rear) windows are 2/2 horizontally-divided margin paned sashes, and modern casement insert.

Principal entrance elevation faces east and has two openings to each floor, including the entrance (boarded) set into gabled porch with decorative timber bargeboards, and accessed by a set of two stone steps with cast-iron handrail.

South elevation has two windows to each floor, those to upper floors obscured by an estate agent’s banner at the time of survey.

West elevation is abutted to ground floor by the public house. First and second floor have an opening to right side, and there is a fire escape door with steel escape stair to left.

North elevation is partially concealed by a tall yard boundary wall. To upper floors, openings are confined to right side, and there are two diminutive attic windows.

The house occupies an urban
setting, bounded by public footpaths to east and south. The rear yard is enclosed by a tall rendered wall, and there is a derelict public house to west. The matching house to east (HB23/20/021, opposite) has been fully restored.

Roof: slate
Walling: render
Windows: timber
RWG: cast-iron

Historical information

The building is first shown on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858 and does not appear in the Townland Valuation (1828-40). It is one of a pair that appear to have been built around the same time c1850. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists it as the property of George Ash who leases it from Hugh Stewart. It is a house and yard valued at £22 and dimensions are given of 9x9½x3 and for the outbuildings 2x2x2.

George Ash was a wholesale grocer and general merchant in Belfast. He gave evidence to a governmental commission in 1859 to the effect that he was ‘one of the oldest merchants of Belfast, if not the very oldest’ having been in business since 1785 and a member of the Chamber of Commerce since 1816, when it was first formed. (Report of the Commissioners, p.327)

After George Ash’s death the building seems to have lain vacant for some time, the value dropping in stages to £16 in 1887. Unfortunately there is considerable confusion with the numbering of the two properties in the Annual Revisions and it is not possible to be absolutely certain which of the two houses is being referred to at any given time. It appears that in 1890 the occupier of this building was George G Henderson and in 1900 Margaret Gamble. Around this time the house has been named ‘Mayville’ and it undergoes several changes of occupier in subsequent years. Following an ‘application for reduction’ in rateable value, the valuer’s notebook gives a plan and dimensions of what is clearly the current house.

It currently lies vacant and is on the Built Heritage at Risk register.

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
2.PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
3.PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
4.PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
5.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
6.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18A – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7.PRONI VAL/12/A/3/53 – Annual Revisions Valuers’ Notebook
8.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
9.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)
10.PRONI VAL/12/E/123/1/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1860-c1866)
11.PRONI VAL/12/E/123/2/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1867-1900)
12.“Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the state of the Municipal Affairs of the Borough of Belfast in Ireland, Part II Minutes of Evidence and Plans” Dublin: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1859

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A three-storey two-bay mid nineteenth century house, prominently located to the street. Although plainly detailed the house is a good and intact example of the type and part of a noteworthy pairing with No1 (HB23/20/020A), underscored by the curved corners.

General comments

Renumbered from HB23/20/020; paired with HB23/20/021 (now HB23/20/020B)