49 MALONE ROAD

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid terrace four-storey two-bay red brick late Victorian town house, built 1886-87 to designs by William Eaton, architect. Located at north end of Malone Road, Belfast, No.49 is one of terrace of nine similar houses (HB26.28.059A-F, H & I inclusive) running between Malone Avenue and Eglantine Avenue. Rectangular on plan as a group on N-S axis with ends gabled; they form one of the most impressive terraces within Malone Road Conservation Area, each having full-height bowed bay with conical slate roof. Three-storey gabled return built at half-landing level to rear (W) on left side, abutted by two storey gabled extension (of little historic interest), wider on plan. Currently used as commercial offices.

Natural slate roof with bands of fish-scale slates to bowed bay; red terracotta ridge tiles and finials to main building; black clay ridge tiles to return. Large red brick chimney centred on ridge to main roof with simple corbelled brick coursing to cap and eight circular yellow clay pots. Cast iron gutter supported on scrolled terracotta brackets and projecting eaves course to front (E); bowed bay rises beyond main eaves, highlighted by cornice of classical ornamentation in stuccowork below the gutter. Half-round uPVC gutter and circular section RWP to both rear (W) and return.

Materials:
ROOF: Natural slate, including return. Extension: artificial slate.
RWG: Cast iron (E); uPVC (W).
WALLS: Red brick walling laid to Flemish bond with painted stucco dressings (E); English Garden Wall bond to return (N, S & W).
WINDOWS: Double glazed painted timber replacement sliding sash with 1/1 panes, unless otherwise stated.

Front Elevation (E):
Front elevation faces east, two bays wide with bowed bay offset to left and entrance to right. Projecting moulded cill and string courses and painted stucco plat band to all floors. Painted stucco walling also to bowed bay, except some brick header courses between each floor level. Bay windows and segmental arched door have incised decoration in stuccowork above openings with edge roll moulding. Moulded stucco hood and label stops to door, above painted stucco plat band on pink marble colonnettes with dressed sandstone plinth and capital (painted); plain fanlight above square-headed 5-panelled replacement timber door; toothed stucco quoins below plat band and decorative terracotta panel above door head. Colonnettes and terracotta panel repeated on first and second floor windows above door.

West elevation:
West elevation faces shared alley. Simple detailing: brick, soldier coursed window heads and projecting brick headers to eaves. Three-storey return to left (N) with painted timber bargeboard and one small window to gable end (no chimney); abutted by two-storey gabled extension. Right of return, main building has one window at each level, diminishing in size to upper floors. Brick walling at ground floor painted white. West elevation of two-storey extension has red brick walling, stretcher bond, with large timber framed multi-paned window centred on gable at first floor and painted timber bargeboard.

South Elevation:
No.51 Malone Road (HB26.28.059B) abuts south face. South elevation of three-storey return has informal fenestration and simple detailing as per west elevation. Painted, brick walling at ground floor with two windows to left and modern flush door to right. Above ground, return has one window offset to right (W) and two to left (E) at first floor; and one window each to far left and right to second floor. South elevation of two-storey extension has timber framed multi-paned corner windows at ground and first floors; and flush door to right at ground level only.

North Elevation:
No.47 Malone Road (HB26.28.059F) abuts north face. North elevation of return detailed as south elevation; all painted white. Windows overlook yard to No.47 at both first and second floor half-landings.

Setting
Set back from tree-lined street with paved front gardens bound by low brick wall on the west side of Malone Road, part of terrace of town houses, aligned parallel to main road. Front garden surfaced in precast concrete pavers graded to provide level access at entrance. Located directly opposite Fisherwick Presbyterian Church (HB26.17.014) and from this aspect, at corner of Chlorine Gardens, it is most impressive. Rear yard bound by gable end of extension and modern red brick walling with flush timber door to alley and palisade fence over (set back further than No.47 and 51 to either side). Wall and door covered in graffiti.

Historical information

Nos.37-53 Malone Road were constructed in 1886-88 to a design by the then Botanic Avenue-based architect, William Eaton, on what had been the grounds of Eglantine Hill, a pre-1832 house bounded by the Malone and Lisburn Roads in the east and west what is now Malone and Eglantine Avenues to the north and south. The terrace, originally named ‘Windsor Gardens’, was built for James Johnston, possibly the insurance agent of that name listed in contemporary directories as operating out of Waring Street. The whole grouping appears to have been completed by mid-1888, and all of the properties are recorded as occupied in the earliest available street directory of 1890.

No.49 – The first occupant of this building seems to have been a W. Montgomery, an auctioneer. By 1895 the building was acting as the de facto manse for Fisherwick Presbyterian Church, being the home of that congregation’s minister, Rev. H.M. Williamson. He was succeeded as householder by William McMeekin, a linen merchant and J.P, in 1901. In the census of that year the property is noted as 1st class dwelling containing 15 rooms occupied (on the night of the census) by Mr. McMeekin, his wife, Eleanor Christina, their two children, a domestic servant and nurse. By 1907, Robert McHenry, ‘Chief Clerk of the Petty Sessions’ had taken on the lease, and in the 1911 census he is recorded as living there with his wife, Sarah, a domestic servant and a visitor, Charlotte Dawes. H. Cochrane, a ‘tea agent’ is listed as the occupant from c.1915 to c.1933, followed by Mrs. Rita Macartney, who by at least 1940 was running the place as a guest house. Mrs. Sheila MacMillan took over this establishment c.1953, but at some point in the mid-1960s it was split into offices, with the Sports Council (NI branch) seemingly the ‘anchor’ tenant. In the 1986 directory only one occupant (‘The Ulster Microfilm Service Ltd.’) is recorded, but the building had returned to multiple occupancy once again by the beginning of the 1990s.

In 1996, Belfast Women's Aid refurbished the vacant office building, demoilshed the existing single storey return and replaced it with a two-storey return.

The building was listed in November 1991.

References – Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL12B/43D/14 annual valuation revision book, 1882-97
2 PRONI OS8/30/3/49 OS town plan of Belfast, 1883-84
3 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 5 August 1886, 15 September 1887
4 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Street Directory’, (Belfast News-Letter, Belfast), various dates from 1887 to 1996
5 ‘Belfast News-Letter’, 23 April 1887
6 PRONI OS8/30/4/49 OS town plan of Belfast, 1896
7 PRONI VAL7B/14/15 valuation of Belfast, 1900
8 Census of Ireland, 1901, 1911 [online - http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/]
9 PRONI OS8/30/5/49 OS town plan of Belfast, 1903
10 PRONI VAL12B/43K/4 valuation book, 1906-15

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, (UAHS, 1968)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Mid terrace four-storey red brick late Victorian town house, built 1886-87 by William Eaton, architect. One of a terrace of nine similar houses comprising No.37-47, 51 & 53 Malone Road, Belfast (HB26.28.059A-F, H & I inclusive); as a group they form one of the most impressive terraces within the Malone Road Conservation Area. The Malone Road facade is particularly striking with rhythm created by each having a full-height bowed bay with conical slate roof and a wealth of ornate detailing. Converted to offices with a substantial two-storey extension added to the rear; resulting in some loss of integrity and plan form. Domestic scale and original spatial character - a sequence of stacked, well lit generous rooms - remains legible. Robust original detail, inside and out, contributes to special character.