593 ORMEAU ROAD

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three-storey red-brick, late Victorian house located on the Ormeau Road just South of the intersection with the Ravenhill Road, approx. 3 km from Belfast city centre. The main part of the house is rectangular on plan with a dormer level and a two-storey rectangular-shaped return and enclosed yard to rear. One of a row of 7 no. terraced houses set on the West side of the Ormeau Road, this section of the Ormeau Road is residential consisting mainly of red-brick terraced houses built at the end of the nineteenth century and some 20th century housing of varying styles.

Materials:
Roof : Fibre-cement slate
RWG: Cast metal to front/uPVC to rear
Walls: Smooth red clay brick laid in Flemish bond to front/ English garden wall bond to rear
Windows: 2/2 double-glazed sliding-sash ‘factory finish’ timber or uPVC with margin panes to front/ uPVC top-hung to rear

Front elevation (E)
The front elevation has a replacement painted timber 6-panel door and overlight (plain glazing) to the right and a 2/2 double-glazed sliding-sash ‘factory finish’ timber /uPVC window with margin panes to the left. The doorway is segmental-headed with a painted masonry keystone and is stepped at the reveals. The window is also segmental-headed and both window and door have soldier course headers. There are 2 no. similar windows at first floor level with square-headed openings also with soldier course headers. There is a centrally located half-dormer window with double pitched roof at second floor level. It has a round-headed arched window opening with a 2/2 double-glazed sliding-sash ‘factory finish’ timber/ uPVC window with margin panes. All the window openings have smooth painted plaster reveals. Brickwork is laid in Flemish bond with a series of slightly projecting decorative polychromatic brick courses (painted white) at second floor level. There is a Natural slate roof with painted timber soffits with dentils to eaves and moulded bargeboards to half-dormer. Guttering is metal. There is a large profiled red-brick chimney stack on the left-hand side with a yellow brick cornice with modillions and red clay pots.

Rear elevation (W)

(The rear yard of the house was not accessible at the time of survey and the following description is based on inspection from the rear laneway)

The rear elevation of the main house at first floor level has on the right-hand side 1 no. window opening with a uPVC double-glazed top hung window. To the far left at second floor level is a smaller similar window. Window openings have smooth painted plaster reveals and are square-headed with soldier course headers. Below this is the original two-storey return. The rear of the house and the rear return are red-brick (partly painted white above first floor level). Ground level is generally finished in painted smooth render. The S elevation of the return at first floor level is blank. The W gable elevation of the return adjoins a single-storey yard wall which is also painted smooth render. There is 1 no. window opening with a uPVC double-glazed top hung window on the left-hand side of the return gable at first floor level. The N elevation of the return has 1 no. large uPVC double-glazed window to the far left at first floor level. Window openings generally have smooth painted plaster reveals and are square-headed with soldier course headers. There is an enclosed yard with square-headed doorway with painted timber boarded door. Walls are generally red-brick in English Garden Wall bond. Roofs are fibre-cement slate. There is a modern rooflight on the main roof. There are uPVC rwgs and soil stacks to the rear of house.

Side elevation (N) abuts No 589 Ormeau Road - HB26.01.002E

Side elevation (S) abuts No 593 Ormeau Road - HB26.01.002G

There is a small front garden finished with gravel and quarry tile path, set behind sandstone kerbstones with a hedge above and replacement metal gate. The rear of the terrace is bounded by a laneway. There is a long narrow garden extending to W, with gravel finish and lawn area.

Historical information

No.593 This house and its near-matching neighbour to the south (no.595) were built in 1871 as additions to the short terrace of five slightly smaller dwellings to the north (nos.583-91 Ormeau Road - originally known as ‘Belvoir Place’), which were largely constructed c.1864, apart from No.591 which dates from in or shortly 1871. The whole group was probably developed by Thomas Courtney, who is listed as the immediate lessor in the valuation book. The new additions to the terrace are referred to in an advert of May 1871 as the ‘new two-storey houses, with good attics, situate in Ballynafeigh...neatly and comfortably finished...good gardens front and rere...in the most healthy locality, with a dry soil and mild, salubrious air.’

The sequence of occupation of no.593 is as follows: James Carter – ‘muslin manufacturer’ (1871-c.78); Mrs. Whalley (c.1878-c.82); Jacob B. Green – ‘gentleman’ (c.1882-c.93); Mrs. McDade (c.1893-1900); Thomas McCandless – ‘accountant’ (1901-02); J. McCormick – ‘shop assistant’ (1902-c.05); J. O’Brien – ‘commercial traveller’ (c.1905-07); Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson (1907-c.10), and George L. Duncan (c.1910- ), a cabinetmaker who in the 1911 census is recorded as occupying the house with his wife, Margaret, daughter, mother-in-law and two boarders, with the house itself noted as a second class dwelling containing eight rooms. The Duncan family appear to have been followed by S. Stevenson (c.1920-24), J. O’Brien – ‘commercial traveller’ (1924-c.29), W. Williamson – ‘painter’ (c.1929-c.33), Thomas Duncan (c.1933-c.41), W. Williamson (c.1941-c.43), S. Stevenson (c.1943-c.49) and W. Williamson (c.1949-c.64). J. Porter – ‘post office official’ is noted as the occupant from c.1964, and a Josephine Porter [?the same person] was residing there in 1995.

References – Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL12B/43A/7, annual valuation revision book, 1862-73
2 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Street Directory’, (Belfast News-Letter, Belfast), various dates from 1870 to 1996
3 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 2 May 1871
4 PRONI OS8/30/2/OS town plan of Belfast, 1871-73
5 Marcus Ward’s ‘Shilling Map of Belfast’, 1879
6 PRONI VAL12B/43A/18, annual valuation revision book, 1882-96
7 PRONI OS8/30/3/59 1883-84
8 PRONI OS8/30/4/59 1896
9 PRONI VAL12B/43A/34, annual valuation revision book, 1897-1905
10 Census of Ireland, 1901, 1911 [online]
11 PRONI OS8/30/5/59 1903
12 HED File relating to HB26.01.002A (c.1986- )

Secondary sources
1 Royle, Stephen A., ‘Irish Historic Towns Atlas No.17 – Belfast, Part II, 1840 to 1900’ (Irish Royal Academy, 2007)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

3-storey, red-brick late Victorian terrace house built 1871. Part of a terrace of 7 no. Similar houses (HB26/01/002A-F), located on the Ormeau Road just South of the intersection with the Ravenhill Road, approx. 3 km from Belfast city centre. The house is one of 2 no. On the south end of the terrace that have an expressed attic level. It retains most of its character externally, despite replacement of the original sliding sash windows. The house and adjacent houses on the terrace form a distinct group, particularly to the rear, where the yards and original garden allotments are remarkably intact. A good example of modest late Victorian urban terraced house, built at a time when Belfast was expanding rapidly from the city centre southwards along the main thoroughfares of the Ormeau, Lisburn and Malone Roads.