20 COLLEGE GARDENS

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid terrace, three-storey with attic (and semi-basement) red brick late Victorian town house, built 1881. Architect unknown. Part of block of four, including No.19, 21 and 22 College Gardens (HB26.28.020A, C & D); the block is largely symmetrical to front with No.19 mirrored by No.22, both at gable ends with No.20 & 21 between. Set midway along College Gardens, a tree-lined street of similarly scaled townhouses running from Malone Road to Lisburn Road and within Queens Conservation Area; the buildings face south and overlook the grounds of Methodist College. Full-height projecting bay at half-landing level to rear abutted by double return, which steps down from four to three stories and comprised mainly of flat roofs with raised parapets in salvaged red brick. Additional flat roofed extension, single storey over basement within yard area left of return.

Natural slate roof with red clay crested ridge tiles and flat roofed dormer to front pitch; dormer clad in sheet metal (CHECK FILE). Smaller flat roofed dormer and three modern roof-lights to rear pitch. Chimney shared with No19 and centred on ridge, rebuilt in salvaged red brick with several circular clay pots. Projecting moulded eaves to front on scrolled modillions; deep frieze comprised of fluted pilasters between alternating panels of central roundel within moulded rectangular frame; and paired raised and fielded panels. Base of each pilaster embellished with bestial head moulding. Rear eaves simpler in alternating angular bricks; same detail carried over return.

MATERIALS
ROOF: Natural slate – except flat roofed terraces to rear (not seen).
RWG: Ogee profile cast iron gutters and circular section RWP (S); cast metal ogee profile gutter, with uPVC RWPs (N).
WALLS: Red brick in Flemish bond with stucco dressings (S); and English Garden Wall bond to N and return.
WINDOWS: Timber framed double hung sliding sash with 1/1 panes (S) and mix of windows to rear (N); refer to description below.
Note: First and second floor sashes to front have double glazed units.

Front Elevation (S):
Asymmetrical with entrance to left (W) at ground floor and projecting bowed bay with three windows to right at ground floor; three windows at first floor, two paired over bay and one aligned with ground floor entrance; same to second floor and flat roofed attic dormer centred on eaves with two pairs of PPC aluminium framed double glazed casement windows.
Apart from the attic, all openings are segmental headed and diminish in height from ground to second floor. Windows at ground floor bowed bay have curved glass and that to middle has upper sash split vertically in three.
Painted render base plinth with moulded top and sub-floor vents which appear to be original.
Square headed timber framed entrance door comprising two panels with raised fields and bolection moulding; plain glass over-light on simple transom; elaborate concentric arched stucco surround, with egg-and-dart and chevron moulding, pitched keystone and simple pilasters; all painted.
Ground floor bay has similar cornice and frieze to main roof and Renaissance style balustrade. Frieze continued at main façade and repeated below continuous projecting cill at second floor windows. Deep moulded stucco surrounds to ground floor windows with corresponding moulded brackets below continuous projecting cill; same detail at second floor windows with simple chevron stucco moulding in place of brackets. First floor has plainer surrounds between cill and impost level where continuous stucco band runs between windows, enriched with classical-style mouldings; above band, ornate floral detail to moulded surrounds and exaggerated pitched keystones.

Rear Elevation (N):
Rear surveyed from Elmwood Mews (no access to rear yard).
Detailed simpler than front elevation with flat arched openings, soldier coursed brick headers.
Full-height projection and double return built at half-landing level to right (W) side and one opening to each first and second floor to left, with modern flat roofed dormer to attic. Dormer clad in vertical sheeting, probably uPVC, with matching casement windows. Second floor window: timber framed multi-paned (9/9) top hung double glazed casement with concrete cill and modern brick infil below – suggests that opening has either moved or replaced a former escape door. First floor: uPVC framed double glazed tripartite window, spanning full width of yard and having painted steel lintel over. Flat roofed extension to yard below first floor, with parapet wall in salvaged red brick and angled brick coping that relates to the original eaves detail to rear.
Projection is blank with lighter brick to centre – possibly evidence of former chimney to match No.21, now removed.
North face of hipped-roof return: one opening at second floor, centred on hip. Appears to be PPC aluminium and most likely a door – opens on to flat roof with raised parapet. Ridge tiles to hip are modern, possibly red clay.
North face of flat-roofed return: wall extended in height to form second floor parapet as noted above and hopper and RWP discharge from flat roof to E side; two windows at first floor – one small casement window offset to left and a large round-arched sliding sash window with 1/1 panes fitted with stained glass (sandwiched between float glass). Ground floor not seen, however, soldier-coursed brick spanning almost full width of return indicates a wide glazed opening.

West Elevation:
Abutted by No21 College Gardens, including return. Sheeted timber privacy screen, painted, between the two properties at ground floor.

East Elevation:
No19 College Gardens abuts main building. East face of projection and double return surveyed from Elmwood Mews.
Projection has one opening at each half-landing level (where seen): to attic, replacement timber sliding sash, double glazed with 1/1 panes; second floor, bricked up opening, presumably a former fire door due to proportions; lower levels not seen. Double return: painted walling up to second floor cill height and informally arranged openings - one wide uPVC framed glazed opening at first floor in what appears to be have been two windows (based on soldier-coursed headers); two smaller openings at first floor, towards N end, one bricked up, the other fitted with replacement timber framed double glazed sliding sash, with 1/1 panes and stone cill, painted. Decorative metal wall vent to right side of latter window, probably original. Ground floor and basement not seen, but these are assumed to be enclosed by flat roofed extension across yard.

No20 sits mid terrace in block of similar town houses, rectangular on plan and aligned E-W parallel to College Gardens. Set back from tree-lined street, hedge aligns boundary with College Gardens and front gardens to both adjoining properties. Front door opens onto broad step with coloured band formed in polished concrete aggregate, flanked by painted dwarf walls; that adjoining No.21 retains open balustrade between square end piers; opposite side retains pier adjacent to entrance only. Path from replacement metal garden gate to entrance step formed in precast concrete paving slabs, which return along front of bay. Remainder of front garden is grassed, with mature tree near to gate. Salvaged red brick yard wall with alternating angled brick coping along N boundary. This likely forms a parapet to ground floor terrace behind, with two modern garage doors at basement level opening onto Elmwood Mews.

Historical information

Background - College Gardens (originally ‘College Gardens Avenue’) is located on land which prior to the early 19th century had been one of the series of strip farms running from what is now the Malone and University Roads to the Bog Meadows. Probably laid out in early 1600s, the integrity of these was broken up by the cutting of the Lisburn Road in 1816-19 and the construction of the Ulster Railway in 1837-39. Around the same time, greater security of tenure from the Donegall estate lead to the gentrification of what remained of these farms with the building (or upgrading of existing structures) to create small country villas and the laying out of small demesnes within the plots formerly farmed. The land to the immediate north and south of College Gardens belonged to such a villa, ‘Vermont’, a pre-1770 house, possibly rebuilt or enlarged c.1815 and enlarged again c.1840s – on this occasion by John Riddell, a Belfast ironmonger. The building of Queen’s College a short distance to the north-east in 1845 sparked the suburbanisation of the area, and in 1865 Vermont itself was sold for the building of another educational establishment, Methodist College. The latter was completed in 1868 and a new private avenue laid out the lower ground to the immediate north, with building plots on the northern side of this. Beginning at the eastern end, present nos.1-6 were constructed in 1871, nos.7-18 in 1877, no.33 and 34 in 1879, 19-22 in 1881, 23-26 in 1882 and 27-32 in 1883.

No.20 This property belongs to a terrace of four symmetrically arranged single-fronted townhouses built in 1880-81. The identity of the architect is not known, but the developer of everything in College Gardens from no.11 to no.32 appears to have been Rev. George Cron, the then minister of the Evangelical Union Church in Wellington Place.

The 1884 street directory records the occupant of no.20 as Mrs. Susanna Black. Mrs. Mary Ann McCalmont is named as the householder in 1897 and in the 1901 census she is recorded as living there with her four grown-up children, two house guests and two domestic servants, with the building itself noted as a ‘first class’ dwelling with the family occupying 14 rooms. Joseph McKee (‘commission agent’) is named as resident in 1907, followed in c.1909 by Rev. Joseph McKinstry, Minister of Randalstown Presbyterian Congregation. In the 1911 census his family, consisting of his wife Rosetta, their five (mainly teenage) children and two domestic servants are noted as resident. The McKinstrys stayed on until at least 1918 and by 1924 Wyclif McCready is named as the householder, occupying the house until at least 1932. During WWII the property and its neighbour to the west (no.21) were in the hands of the government, with no.20 continuing as offices in the post-war period, being occupied by a consulting engineer, Mr. E. Reid, and by the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland in 1951. The latter group were the sole occupants by 1960 and were still there at the time of the publication of the last street directory in 1996.

The property reverted to use as a private dwelling once again in 2014, with the double garage extension to the rear and the heightening of the end of the return (to create the rooftop terrace) carried out at this time.

References – Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL12B/43D/7 annual valuation revision book, 1862-82
2 ‘Belfast News-Letter’, 3, January 1877, 23 March 1878
3 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Street Directory’, (Belfast News-Letter, Belfast), various dates from 1880 to 1996
4 PRONI VAL12B/43D/14 annual valuation revision book, 1882-96
5 PRONI OS8/30/3/49 OS town plan of Belfast, 1883-84
6 PRONI OS8/30/4/49 OS town plan of Belfast, 1896
7 PRONI VAL12B/43A/36 annual valuation revision book, 1897-1905
8 PRONI VAL7B/14/15 valuation of Belfast, c.1900-01
9 Census of Ireland, 1901, 1911 [online - http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/]
10 PRONI OS8/30/5/49 OS town plan of Belfast, 1903
11 PRONI VAL12B/43P/3 valuation book, 1906-15
12 PRONI VAL12B/43P/7 valuation book, 1916-30
13 OS maps, 1958, 1970 (online - http://www.centremapslive.co.uk/)

Secondary sources
1 Carleton, S.T., ‘The growth of South Belfast’, (unpublished QUB MA thesis), 1967
2 Rowan, A.J. and Brett, C.E.B., Historic Buildings…Queens University of Belfast, (Belfast, UAHS, revised ed. 1980)

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

Mid terrace three-storey with attic red brick late Victorian town house, built 1881. Architect unknown. Group value with No.19, 21 and 22 College Gardens (HB26.28.019A, C & D) as part of a block of four, largely symmetrical to the front. The buildings face south and overlook the grounds of Methodist College. Well proportioned with stucco dressings including Renaissance balustrade and elaborate door surround with original stone steps and dawrf wall. Replacement windows and parapet walls to the rear detract from its character to some extent. However, No.20 is important to the integrity the group, and the remainder of terraces within College Gardens, a tree-lined street of similarly scaled late Victorian townhouses running from Malone Road to Lisburn Road and within Queens Conservation Area.