82 North Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey random rubble sandstone symmetrical building constructed 1879-1880 in a Classical style having a two-storey gabled extension to west, another two-storey two-bay gabled extension to north-west and a third two-storey canted-bay that abuts the south west. Located at the corner of North Road and Upper rock-faced Road and set within its own mature grounds with single-bay gable-front outbuilding set parallel to main house.

Hipped natural slate roof with clipped gables to north and south having projecting eaves with painted bargeboard fascia and soffit. Half-rounded cast-iron guttering discharging to circular downpipes. Pair of re-built buff brick chimneys with concrete coping and terracotta pots, centred on the ridge. Pitched slate roof to north and north-west extensions with clipped gable to north. Advancing rubble coursed sandstone chimney breast leading to stack of north-west extension with skews and projecting coping to east. Square-headed openings with smooth ashlar red sandstone surround and sandstone sill. One over one timber sliding sash windows unless otherwise stated.

Three bay symmetrical front elevation faces east and consists of single-storey projecting square bays flanking the main entrance. Coursed rubble rock-faced sandstone walling with quoins having tooled margins. Ashlar red sandstone to projecting bays with coursed rock-faced plinth, stone sill and header with projecting sandstone cornice and leaded flat roof. Up windows to first floor. Greek-style red sandstone portico to entrance having pair of Corinthian columns supporting sandstone entablature with projecting cornice and leaded flat roof. Square-headed door opening; stone step leading to timber panelled entrance door with fan-light over. Chimney stack to north-west extension with sandstone dressed stone carved with the date 'AD 1895'.

South elevation is three-bay two-storey with advancing pier to west corner having single-storey stone-wall set perpendicular to enclose yard to the rear. Side elevation of hipped roof two-storey canted bay with ground and first floor openings abutting to west. Projecting two-storey single-bay entrance from west-extension having ground floor opening with brick surround and timber panelled entrance door. Gabled south elevation of north-west extension having red sandstone course at header level of first floor and two window openings to ground floor, both of which have top hung casement windows with toothed brick surrounds.

West elevation has 2 storey canted bay to south bay of main house. Gabled extension to west with ground and first floor openings. Openings to first floor of north-west extension and mono-pitch advancing single-storey extension to ground floor with stone wall extending to south enclosing rear courtyard.

North elevation has ground and first floor openings to main house and west extension. Clipped gable to north-west extension with ground and first floor openings.

Setting: Building is located within its own grounds and has one-and-a-half storey outbuilding to south-west. Painted wall to west, predominantly stone with brick coursing evident towards the top and capped by a rounded terracotta coping. This wall is punctuated by two segmental arched door openings, one to the south end that leads to a single-storey monopitched out-house, and another towards the north that leads to the garden. Together with the out-building to the south-west, the painted wall and a
metal gateway to south enclose a rear courtyard. Hedge boundary to north-east adjacent to front elevation enclosing formal gardens to north. Lawn to north, west and east with formal hedge boundary to east and mature tree planting to north and west. Located on the west side of North Road with entrance gateways to north-east and south-east with pair of square-plan rock-faced pillars and pyramidal copings. Yellow gravel chippings to driveway and parking area.

Materials:
Walls: Coursed rubble sandstone, with red sandstone dressings
Windows: Timber sliding sash, 1/1 panes, with horns
Roof: Natural slate with lead flashings
RWG: Cast iron, painted

Historical information

No. 82 North Road, a two-storey sandstone dwelling located in the townland of Ballyhackamore at the corner of the Upper Newtownards Road, was constructed in 1879-80. The second edition Ordnance Survey map (1858) records that the townland of Ballyhackamore remained predominantly rural in character in the mid-19th century and was occupied by only a small number of gentlemen’s manors that included Bloomfield House and Greenville House. By the 1870s the industrial expansion of Belfast, coupled with the development of the Belfast & County Down Railway, resulted in the development of new streets and housing in the townland. The Annual Revisions record that No. 82 North Road was constructed for the Bloomfield Land & Building Co. Ltd., which was formed by the landowning Boyd family in 1874 to secure leases for building projects in the East Belfast townlands of Ballyhackamore and Ballycloghan.

The Annual Revisions note that construction of No. 82 North Road commenced in 1879 and was completed by 1880 when the building was valued for the first time. The house was likely constructed by Young & Mackenzie, a local partnership that the Dictionary of Irish Architects describes as ‘the most successful architectural practice in Belfast … the leading architects for the Presbyterian Church in the North East [who also] received some of the most important commercial commissions in the city.’ Young & Mackenzie’s papers and the Dictionary of Irish Architects record that the firm was involved in a number of contracts in the Bloomfield area between 1877 and 1880. Young & Mackenzie designed four villas in the area in 1877 (believed to be the neighbouring no's 2-6 Cyprus Avenue and No. 99 Upper Newtownards Road - see HB26/14/20A-B; 21A-B) and, in the following year, the firm also designed a terrace of cottages on the Beersbridge Road for the Bloomfield Land & Building Co. Ltd (no's 364-374 Beersbridge Road - HB26/10/002A F). The First Survey (1986) states that ‘the design [of No. 82 North Road] appears similar to houses on Beersbridge Road.’ Similar sandstone was utilised in the masonry of all these buildings (PRONI Young & Mackenzie papers; Dictionary of Irish Architects).

The Annual Revisions set the total rateable value of No. 82 North Road at £42 upon its completion in 1880. The valuer noted that the house was originally known as ‘Maryville’ and was initially leased by the Bloomfield Land & Building Co. Ltd to a Mr. William Bryars who only briefly resided at the site before vacating it in c. 1887. In that year James Fitchie, a local stationer and paper merchant, occupied Maryville. When the house was originally constructed in 1879-80 it did not possess the two-storey extension that abuts the north-west side of the building. This was constructed in 1895 at a cost of £1,000 and increased the total value of the property to £67 (the extension of Maryville is recorded by a date stone in the chimney of the extension). The site was recorded on the third edition Ordnance Survey map (1902) which depicted the house along its current layout. The 1901 census described Maryville as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 12 rooms and possessed a stable, cow house and a fowl house. James Fitchie continued to reside at Maryville until his death in 1932 (PRONI Wills). A Dr. J. Warwick occupied No. 82 North Road by the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) which increased the value of the house to £90 and noted that ownership of the building had passed to a Mr. James L. Clarke. The house was also utilised as a private medical surgery by the 1950s and was occupied by a Dr. E. Bolton until at least the 1970s. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of Maryville stood at £86.

No. 82 North Road was listed in 1987. The NIEA HB Records note that the house underwent general repairs in c. 1993 when the decorative sandstone pillars and scrolls at the front entrance and bay windows were restored. In 2011 the building underwent a further renovation which included the repointing of its external stonework, the repair of its roof and the replacement of its damaged rainwater goods (NIEA HB Records). At this time the conservatory on the south elevation was removed and all that remains is the stone wall to the west side that has been capped with a sandstone coping.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/4/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (1858)
2. PRONI OS/6/3/4/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map (1902)
3. PRONI OS/6/3/4/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1920-21)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/4/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1931)
5. PRONI OS/6/3/4/6 – Sixth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1938)
6. PRONI D2194 – Young & Mackenzie Papers (1878)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/2c-2G – Annual Revisions (1879-1897)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/L/1-10 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/12 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
10. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/29 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
11. Ulster Town Directories (1877-1943)
12. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
13. PRONI Wills Catalogue (25 Jul 1932)
14. Ordnance Survey Map 130-15SW3 (1987)

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects website - http://www.dia.ie/

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Originally known as Maryville, No. 82 North Road Belfast was completed in 1880, most likely to designs by Young and Mackenzie and it is a well-proportioned and detailed Classical-revival villa. This is evident by the formal symmetrical facades, entrance portico flanked by Corinthian columns and the hipped roof with paired central chimney stacks. The coursed random rubble sandstone walls contrasted with red sandstone dressings are repeated in the various extensions and appendages, with the latter having been substituted with red brick around some later window openings at the rear. Although less formal, the outbuildings to the south and west together with a stone wall survive to form a courtyard enclosure that collectively add interest to the house. Located on the corner of North Road and the Upper Newtownards Road, the house is set back from the latter and is separated by formal gardens with mature trees and an extensive lawn. The site boundary is defined by hedging to both street frontages. The building is of additional interest as it is similar in style and proportion to several other Young & Mackenzie buildings within the immediate vicinity, especially 364-374 Beersbridge Road (HB26/10/002A -F). It was constructed during the industrial expansion of Belfast, in particular the period of development of the Belfast and County Down Railway, which resulted in the development of new streets and houses in the East of the city.