94 Malone Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial ‘semi-detached’ two storey suburban residence of 1875-76 in Victorian free Italianate style with hipped roof, stucco façade, canted and square bays, Corinthian-columned portico (flat roofed with metal fascia), bracketed verge and Velux type dormers. The property is the smaller of a non-identical pair attached by their rear returns, thus giving the impression, (from the front elevation of each), of two free standing buildings. The property is set to the east side of Malone Road, and approached via a gateway on the south side of Cleaver Avenue.

The front elevation faces E and is asymmetrical. To the centre of the ground floor is the front entrance, which consists of a panelled timber door with sidelights with panelled aprons and a large rectangular three-light overlight (all plainly glazed). Surrounding the entrance is a flat-roofed portico with Corinthian columns and respondents on tall (conjoined) plinths. The columns have had several layers of paint applied and their capitals detailing has become ‘submerged’.

To the left of the entrance is a large single storey canted bay with plain sash windows (double glazed with timber beads) to each side with pilaster-like piers between and cornice course and plain parapet above. To the right of the entrance is a large but shallow square bay with large plain tripartite sash window and detailing as previous bay. To the first floor are three evenly-spaced (and relatively small) segmental-headed sash windows with simple (lugged and heeled) moulded surrounds with ‘keystones’. The windows rest on a cill course. The lower half of the front elevation (outside of the bays) is rusticated, the upper half is plain. The N and S elevations are finished in similar form.

To the left on the ground floor of the S elevation there is a panelled and glazed door. It has recentlt added Corinthian pillasters and moulded flat cornice. This door used to lead into a lean-to glasshouse, but this has been removed. To the right of the door are two relatively tall sash windows. To the first floor are two windows as first floor front. To the left side this elevation merges into a two storey lean-to section. The lean-to section in turn merges with a high plain rendered wall, (with doorway), which used to enclose a yard which has now been roofed over.

The N elevation is much longer than the previous two as it includes the N face of the large three level return. To far left on the ground floor is a canted bay, as front. To right of this are two sash windows 1/1. To right of these (on the slightly recessed N face of the return),is a 3 paned casement window. To right again is a partly glazed door. To the first floor left (on main section of building) are two windows, as first floor front. The first floor of the return there are two plain sash windows. To the second floor of the return there are two windows, as first floor of main section but much squatter.

The rear of the main section of the building could not be observed from the outside, however, from internal investigation we know that there is a very large, semicircular-headed window to the centre of the elevation at half landing level. This window is filled with stained glass. There is a much smaller plainly glazed window directly above to the upper half-landing.

The hipped roof has an overhang supported on brackets (in typical Italianate fashion) and is slated (appears to be fibre cement). There are two tall centrally placed chimneystacks to the main section, both rendered and with a cornice course and six matching octagonal clay pots (to each). Cast iron/aluminium rw goods.

To E, N and S of the property there is a large garden, now substantially altered to include parking spaces..

Historical information

This house and its attached neighbour (no.92) were built in 1875-76, with either no.94 alone, or perhaps both dwellings together, originally named ‘Carlton House’. They were built on a parcel of land which previously belonged to the property just to the south, ‘Montpellier’ (present no.100), a house erected in c.1840 by Belfast merchant, Thomas Gilmore, on land he acquired from Rev. George MacCartney-Black in 1836. Gilmore died in 1870 and the lot was sold to Samuel Gibson, a Belfast ‘druggist and grocer’, who developed it in 1875-76 by building ‘Carlton House’, a further dwelling to the immediate west of the original house (the present no.96), and, in 1878, a large villa to the south, where he himself was to reside (now demolished). In the process of building Carlton, Gibson appears to have demolished a gate lodge (‘Montpellier Cottage’) which served the original 1840s house. This lodge was situated roughly at the entrance to the present drive of no.92.

The original resident of no.94 was Rev. Robert Hannay, the incumbent of Christ Church Belfast, who appears to have remained there until c.1898. The property remained a private dwelling house until the 1970s, when it was converted to offices with an apartment to the first floor.

The property underwent significant internal renovation in the early 1980s

The house has been largely put back to its original internal appearance following extensive repair amd renovation in the mid 2000's.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/2B/1/2a Second valuation, Shankill parish, 1860
2 PRONI VAL/12B/5/6a Annual (valuation) revision book, 1864-65
3 PRONI VAL/12B/5/6b Annual (valuation) revision book, 1866-79
4 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster directory, 1870-
5 PRONI VAL/12B/5/6c Annual (valuation) revision book, 1879-85
6 PRONI VAL/12B/5/6d Annual (valuation) revision book, 1885-93
7 PRONI VAL/12B/5/63 Annual (valuation) revision book, 1894-97
8 PRONI VAL/12E/192c/57/3 Valuation town plan of Belfast, sh 57, 1894-95

Secondary sources
1 Paul Larmour, ‘The architectural heritage of Malone and Stranmillis’ (Belfast 1994)
2 Information supplied by Professor Alun Evans

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Substantial two storey ‘semi-detached’ suburban residence of 1875-76 in Victorian free Italianate style with hipped roof, stucco façade, canted and square bays, Corinthian-columned portico and bracketed verge. The property is the smaller of a non-identical pair attached by their rear returns, thus giving the impression, (from the front elevation of each), of two free standing buildings.