43-45 Frances Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey gabled block on the S side of Frances Street, originally built c.1860s as two houses, now converted to offices and integrated as a single property internally.

HB24/09/002A No.43 Front (N) facade has a panelled door and fanlight with margin panes (with coloured glass). This is encased with fluted pilasters and curved brackets which support a dentilled cornice with curved (or ‘draped’) blocking above. To the left of this doorway is a window opening with simple surround and cornice and blocking similar to doorway. This window now has a modern frame as do all windows throughout the block. To the right of the doorway is a canted bay with windows to each side set on a cill course. The bay is topped with a cornice and blocking as before. To the first floor are three windows with moulded surrounds, all set on a cill course with brackets. These windows do not appear to be evenly spaced. The lower half of the facade is finished in rusticated render, the upper half in plain render and the whole of this facade is painted. Eaves course punctuated with decoration.

The W gable is blank and finished in lined, unpainted, cement render

At the rear the ground level falls revealing a basement level. At basement level there is a sheeted door roughly to the centre with a window to the left. Directly above the window at the left is a taller window to ground and first floor level. To the right of this are three windows directly above each other each lighting the stairwell, the two lower windows are larger and have semicircular arched heads, with decorative leaded an stained glass to the uppermost arched window. To the right of the arched windows and set at corresponding levels are two narrow windows (two each at the same level as each arched window). The rear is finished in rough cast and unpainted. Attached at basement level (between Nos.43 and 45) is a small lean to ‘boiler house’.

The roof is covered in Bangor blue slates with two large rendered chimney stacks, one to the gable and one shared with No.45. Two large modern flat roofed dormers to rear. Metal [?and PVC] rw goods.

HB24/09/002B No.45 This section of the block is smaller than No.43, but matches it in detail. Front (S) facade has a doorway to the right, a canted bay to the left, and two first floor windows, all as No.43 except that the central window of the canted bay is now a doorway with a modern glazed door.

The E gable is same as the W gable.

To the rear there is a ground and first floor window to the right (with decorative stained and leaded glass to that to the ground floor). To the left at stairwell levels are three windows. The lower windows have semicircular arched heads, but the uppermost of these two is larger and has stained and leaded glass. At basement level a doorway has been blocked but its outline is still recognisable
The roof is as No.43 except with a single flat roofed dormer to the rear. Metal [?and PVC] rw goods.

Railings have undoubtedly been removed from the front of this block. Wheelchair access ramp with painted metal handrails to front (mainly in front of No.45), cast iron bollards to front of No.43.

Historical information

This site is shown vacant on the revised OS Map of 1858-60. The style of the block suggests that it probably dates from the 1860s.
When first surveyed in October 1972 both properties still served as dwelling houses, but appear to have been converted to office accommodation by the mid 1980s. The canted bay to No.43 appears to have been reconstructed in 1984.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS Maps 1st rev. 1858-60, Co. Down 6.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large two storey gabled block of c.1860s, once a pair of houses, now converted to a single office complex.
The facade of this block has retained much of its attractiveness and whilst the building remains an asset to Frances Street, the window frames are modern, one of the bay windows has been made into a doorway and the interior has been extensively altered and has lost the most important elements of its detailing.