'Rosebank'

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial two and a half-storey Freestyle suburban detached house of 1896, with asymmetric bays, ‘Flemish’ gables, and a rendered finish, prominently set on rising ground to the northeast side of King’s Road. The property was most recently used as a children’s home and an outpatients centre, during which period a large spiral fire escape stair was erected next to the south gable. Much of the render is recent also, the upper floors (i.e. most of the structure), originally faced in brick.

The asymmetrical front elevation faces roughly W. Set slightly to the right of centre on the ground floor is the main entrance. This consists of a large segmental-headed opening with bevelled reveal, which is filled with a partly glazed timber double door with narrow sidelights and fanlight. There is a disabled access ramp leading to the entrance.

To the left of the entrance is a full-height square bay topped with a ‘Flemish’ gable. To the ground floor of the bay there is a grouping of three flat-arched windows with plate glazed timber sash frames; the outer windows are narrower. There is an identical grouping to the first floor, whilst at second floor level there there is a pair of similar, but shorter, windows. The windows to the ground floor share a cill, whilst those to the upper floors are set on moulded cill courses, the lower of which continues a as string courses across the N, S and W elevations. There are similar stringcourses above window height to the first and second floors, (the lower of which also continues around the building), and between these and the cill courses are decorative moulded panels. There are plain ‘in-out’ moulded quoins to the ground floor level of the bay, with vermiculated quoins to the first floor.

Directly above the entrance there is a large window, similar to those previously described, but with a moulded surround. Above this there is a small half-dormer with a small window with modern timber frame.

To the right of the entrance there is a two-storey canted bay with windows to each face, (on both floors), as before, but with a modern frame to that to the centre on the first floor. This bay has panels between the cill and stringcourses as the bay to the left. Above the bay there is a large, (‘Flemish’), gabled half-dormer with a window with modern frame.

The front elevation is finished in plain render to the ground floor and roughcast render above, all of which is painted. There are quoins which correspond to those on the full-height bay, a bevelled base course, and a moulded eaves course. The gables have moulded edges to their parapets and simple block-like finials. The other elevations are finished in similar fashion.

To the left hand side of the ground floor of the N gable there is a relatively small single-storey flat-roofed extension which has a doorway, (with modern door), to its E face. To the left on the first floor there is a there is a window, much as those to first floor front. To the second floor there are two windows of differing size. The narrower window to the left has a sash frame, whilst that to the right [which does not appear to be original], has a modern frame.

To the ground floor on the S gable there is a window, (with modern PVC frame), to left on the ground floor. Roughly to the centre of the first floor there is a (fire escape) doorway with modern door. To the right of this there is a window with a PVC frame. To the second floor there is a doorway to the left as the previous floor, with two windows to the right of this, similar to the second floor windows on the N gable.

To the rear of the building there is a relatively large, two-storey double-pile return, which covers most of the rear elevation apart from a small section to the right (N). To the left hand side of the ground floor of the N face of the return there is a small flat-roofed extension, to the S of which there is a large oil tank. To the W face of the extension there is a doorway with modern door. To the right of the extension, (on the return proper), there is a small window with PVC frame, with a doorway to right of this, with modern door. To the left on the first floor there is a broad [probably enlarged] window with PVC frame, to the right of which is a much smaller louvered opening, set at a high level.

To the ground floor of the E face of the return there are three relatively small windows. That to right has a timber sash frame, with PVC frames to those to the left, (which are grouped closely together). To the first floor there are two windows to right of centre, the left of which is filled with decorative stained glass, the other, (which is slightly larger), with a PVC frame.

To the S face of the return, (which is flush with the S gable of the main section of the building), there are two windows to the ground floor, both with PVC frames. To the first floor there is a similar sized window with a timber sash frame. This window is partly set within a small gable [the window is not set high enough for the whole ensemble to be classed as a ‘half-dormer’].

To exposed section of the rear elevation of the main section of the building, (i.e. the section to right of the return), there is a window to the ground floor with a PVC frame. To the second floor there is a modern half-dormer, with what appears to be a flat roof [the roof could not be seen clearly].

The roof of the building, (including the return), is slated and there is a large corbelled brick chimneystack to each of the two main gables. The rainwater goods are a mixture of cast-iron and PVC.

There is a relatively large garden to the front and N/NW of the building. To the immediate N there is a modern single-storey dwelling [believed to have been built c.1977 for a caretaker]. To the immediate NW of the house there is a mature ‘monkey puzzle’ tree. The garden is enclosed from the road by a tall ‘Bradstone’ wall with a vehicle gateway to the W end.

Historical information

This house, ‘Rosebank’, is first listed the ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ in 1896 as one of the dwellings making up what was then the ‘village’ of Knockbreda. It is also first recorded in the valuations at the same date, where its rateable value is given as a respectable £40. Its first occupant, a builder by the name of J. McMaster, is believed to have been John McMaster, the man responsible for the construction of, and who gave his name to, McMaster Street. Presumably he was also responsible for the construction of Rosebank as well. McMaster may have lived in an earlier house in or around this site, for he is listed as the owner of a property by the name of ‘Rose Cottage’ up until 1895.

McMaster remained at Rosebank until 1909. In 1911 it was acquired by a Mrs Simms, who was followed in 1919 J.W. Cunningham, a ‘wholesale merchant’. The next occupant was a confectioner named S.J. Fitzsimons (1926-33),who was succeded by R.J. Yarr, a linen merchant, (1934-65, with his wife remaining there until 1970), a Mr F.J.D. Falkiner (1970/71-74), and a Mr. J.B. Ballagh (1974/75-77). In the latter year or 1978, the building was taken over by the Eastern Health Service for use as a childrens’s home, later [?in the 1990s] becoming an outpatient clinic. At present, (November 2004), it is vacant and for sale.

Photographs of c.1927 show that the building was originally rendered at ground floor level only. It is not known when render was applied to the upper floors. The small extensions to the north side of the house appear to have been added when the building was converted to a children’s home; the separate caretaker’s dwelling was added around this time as well. The walling enclosing the garden has been rebuilt, this may also have been carried out in the 1970s. The walling is relatively close to the house, suggesting that its position may have been altered at the time of rebuilding, however map evidence suggests that was not the case.

References- Primary sources
1 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ (Henderson & Co., Belfast News-Letter, 1890-1995) [As stated above, ‘Rosebank’ is initially listed in the directory of 1896 as part of Knockbreda ‘village’. It is later recorded under in the main Belfast section under ‘Church Road’, and from 1902, under ‘King’s Road’. Church Road presumably renamed in tribute to the (then) new monarch, Edward VII, who visited Belfast in this year.]
2 PRONI VAL/12E/192H/46B/1 Valuation plan, Belfast, sheet 46B (1895[-1905]) [Part of the grounds of ‘Rosebank’ are shown on this map. There was no large scale plan showing the area immediately east of this, (which would have included the house itself), at this date.]
3 PRONI VAL/12A/7E/2-10 Valuers’ office notebooks, Cromac ward, (1894-96)
4 PRONI VAL/12B/43L/2 Annual valuation revision book, Ballyhackamore ED (1897-1905)
5 PRONI OS/6/3/5/3 OS map, Co Down sheet 5 (c.1901)
6 PRONI OS/6/3/5/4 OS map, Co Down sheet 5 (1919-21)
7 Photographs of ‘Rosebank’ (c.1927) [In private possession.]

Secondary sources
1 Information supplied by Elizabeth Fitzsimons (Nov 2004)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Substantial two and a half-storey Freestyle detached house of 1896, with asymmetrical bays, ‘Flemish’ gables, and rendered finish, prominently set on rising ground on the northeast side of King’s Road. Latterly used as a children’s home and an outpatient’s centre, this house has witnessed considerable internal alteration in recent years, whilst externally the original brick-faced upper floors have been covered in roughcast. By virtue of its lofty siting, this building undoubtedly adds something to the streetscape, however there is little which could be classed as ‘special’ about this house in itself, either in terms of its age, style, original features, or history.