134 CHURCH ROAD

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached asymmetrical two storey house built c. 1900 to deigns by Ulster architect James A Hanna; located to the north side of Church Road, Holywood. L-plan facing south; two-storey return with catslide roof at north-east corner, two-storey brick turret at north-west corner and single-storey flat roof extension at south-west re-entrant angle, both built c.1925.

Roof is tiled, east roof slope contains centrally positioned dormer with timber sheeted reveals; two tall red brick corbelled chimneystacks with clay pots, (that at south is considerably smaller than that at north); deep timber sheeted eaves enclosing rafter ends support deep timber bargeboards; rainwater goods appear to be largely replaced with uPVC; walls are stretcher-bond red brick with moulded string course above plinth and at first floor. First floor is clad with scalloped timber shingles with mock timber framing at gable above first floor. Windows are mainly timber sliding sashes, most of which are 6/1 contained brick reveals and voussoirs; tri-partite windows to square-on-plan block have multi-pane top hung casements.

Principal elevation faces south; at right, a two-storey gable is abutted at left by single-storey flat roof extension with cusped parapet and angle buttresses, exposed section at first floor contains centrally positioned tri-partite window. Extension south elevation is blank. Two-storey gable is abutted at left by a projecting porch with diagonal buttresses containing the principal entrance; single window at right; centrally positioned tri-partite window at first floor.

West elevation contains two-storey gabled projecting bay at centre, abutted at right by single-storey flat roof extension with cusped parapet and angle buttresses, exposed section at first floor contains single window at centre. Extension west elevation contains segmental headed tri-partite window with angle buttress at left. Two-storey gable is abutted at left corner by three-stage octagonal turret with sliding sash window at each full facet at ground and first floor; third-stage terminates with cusped parapet.

North projecting gable comprises at ground floor, timber panelled door at left, two timber sliding sash windows at right, (that at centre diminished in width); single 1/1 timber sliding sash window at first floor. Exposed section at right is blank; abutted at right corner by three-stage octagonal turret, as west elevation.

East elevation is abutted by two-storey return with cat-slide roof at right, containing single window at each floor (that at first floor is multi-paned); exposed section at left contains three different windows at ground floor, tri-partite window at left, two timber sliding sash windows at right, (that at centre diminished in width); two timber sliding sash windows at first floor.

The house is located on a large site, set within mature gardens to the north side of Church Road, Holywood. The former quarry is located to the west side of the house and is now infilled with vegetation.

Roof tiles
Walling Stretcher-bond red brick
Windows 6/1 timber sliding sashes
RWG Replacement uPVC

Historical information

The present house is a fine example of early twentieth century Domestic Revival by James A Hanna, ‘one of the most inventive and prolific Ulster architects’. (Paul Larmour). Domestic Revival is a style of domestic architecture that incorporates forms, details, and materials found in (largely English) vernacular buildings, including steeply pitched tile roofs, dormers, timber-framing and jettied construction, small-paned mullioned and transomed windows (often with leaded lights), tile-hung walls, tall chimneys (often of the Tudor type in carved and moulded brick), and carefully contrived asymmetrical compositions.

Hanna designed the house for his own use and moved in shortly after his marriage in 1900. (1911 census; Annual Revisions) It was to remain the Hanna family home for nearly a century, and was home to three generations of architects, James A Hanna himself, Denis O’Donoghue Hanna and his two sons.

134 Church Road, known as ‘Cuillaire’, was built in 1901 on what was then the outskirts of the prosperous commuter town of Holywood. (Annual Revisions) The site had formerly been a quarry and is shown as such on the first and second editions of 1834 and 1858.

James A Hanna was born in 1869/70 and began his career in the drawing office of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Company where he designed a number of black and white timbered station buildings, including the station at Portrush. By 1901 he was working independently as a civil engineer and architect with premises in Donegall Street, Belfast and in Coleraine. (1901, 1911 census; 1901 Belfast/Ulster Directory; letter from Columb Hanna; www.dia.ie)

James Hanna’s involvement with the present site began in 1896 when a house, which became known as ‘The Crags’, was built to his designs for William Dugan and family. James Hanna’s relationship with the Dugans appears to have been personally as well as professionally fruitful, for Hanna married Dugan’s daughter Ada in around 1900 and was living at The Crags with his wife and father-in-law at the time of the April 1901 census. (Annual Revisions; 1901, 1911 census) Later in 1901 Annual Revisions record that James Hanna had built a house for himself within the curtilage of ‘The Crags’, costing £665. The current house, ‘Cuillaire’, was initially valued at £27.10s and dimensions and a plan are given in contemporary valuer’s notes. According to James Hanna’s grandson, the design of the house was influenced by the Art Nouveau tastes of Hanna’s wife, Ada, who was an accomplished artist. The two houses are first shown on the third edition OS map of 1900-02. (Annual Revisions; Valuer’s Notebook; letter from Columb Hanna)

William Dugan died in January 1902 and ‘The Crags’ was subsequently let to a series of tenants. Dugan’s daughters moved in with their sister and brother-in-law, James and Ada, at ‘Cuillaire’ and are listed as resident there in the 1911 census. Also listed is James and Ada’s only child, Denis O’Donoghue Hanna, who later became an architect. The family kept a general domestic servant, an Irish speaker from County Monaghan. (Will of William Dugan; 1911 census)

The only significant change in the valuation of the property came in 1922 when it was raised to £53.10s suggesting considerable additions or improvements at this time. A full-height extension to the rear of the property is certainly a later addition and may have been constructed at this time. (Annual Revisions)

James A Hanna had a prolific and lengthy career, his last known work a water supply scheme for Ballinamallard in 1936. As well as numerous domestic dwellings he was responsible for a number of fine Ulster Bank buildings, notably those in Bangor (HB23/05/025) and Cromac Street, Belfast and his Baptist faith led to work on several Baptist churches. (www.dia.ie)

James Hanna died in 1941 but by this time ‘Cuillaire’ had been requisitioned by the army as officer accommodation. James’ widow, Ada, and his surviving sister-in-law Gertrude moved away to a coast guard cottage at Orlock, which appears to have been the Hanna family holiday home. (Will of James Hanna; Letter from Columb Hanna) Denis ‘O’D Hanna and his family moved back into the house in 1947 and remained resident until 1997. (Letter from Columb Hanna)

Denis O’Donoghue Hanna was born in 1901 and followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a civil engineer and architect. Having attended Trinity, he initially practised in Dublin, but from around 1933 was in practice with his father in Belfast. In 1959 he is noted to be Diocesan architect for Cashel and in 1961 for Down and was primarily an ecclesiastical architect, best known for a number of churches serving the housing estates that formed part of the post-war boom. Denis ‘O’D Hanna was also a lecturer, illustrator and writer with a strong love of the theatre formed in his days as a Trinity student. (www.dia.ie)

The house remains in use as a domestic dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/1/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
4. PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
5. PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
6. PRONI VAL/12A/3/53 – Valuers’ Notebook (1900-06)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
8. PRONI Will of William Dugan, died 20th January 1902
9. PRONI Will of James Hanna, died 3rd November 1941
10. Letter from Columb SA Hanna to NIEA dated 23rd April 2008
11. Note by Paul Larmour – NIEA HB23/20/072
12. Belfast/Ulster Directory, 1901
13. 1901 census online
14. 1911 census online

Secondary Sources

1. www.dia.ie – Dictionary of Irish Architects online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

Detached asymmetrical two storey house built c. 1900. L-plan facing south; two-storey brick turret at north-west corner and single-storey flat roof extension at south-west re-entrant angle, both added c.1925. Much historic fabric and detailing survive. A fine example, of national interest, of early twentieth century Domestic Revival architecture, designed for his family by James A Hanna, one of the most inventive and prolific of Ulster architects.