51-59 Adelaide Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Attached multi-bay five-storey with attic-storey redbrick and red sandstone commercial building, dated 1903. Rectangular on plan, built in two slightly varying styles comprising a five-bay section to the north fronting onto Adelaide Street and Clarence Street (No.51-53), and a six-bay section to the south fronting onto Adelaide Street (No.55-59).

Natural slate hipped mansard roof with three decorative redbrick chimneystacks rising from the east elevation. The north section has a series of segmental-headed dormers with segmental pediments and fluted pilasters while the south section has replacement gabled dormers. The south section has gabled dormers with ogee-moulded steel guttering supported on deep red sandstone cornice on sandstone brackets and moulded redbrick string course below, spanning both east and north elevations with metal downpipes. Redbrick walling laid in English garden wall bond and replacement projecting redbrick plinth course. Further moulded redbrick cornice to second floor sill level with egg-and-dart moulding below, plain brick frieze and sawtooth course below. The window openings to both elevations of the north section are flanked by giant order redbrick pilasters rising from the second floor sill course to the fourth floor with moulded plinth bases and capitals and a depressed arch above each bay and rosette panels above each capital. The south section has similar pilasters flanking the entire east elevation (also rising from second to fourth floors). Timber sash windows to the north section and aluminium windows to the south section all having red sandstone sills.

North elevation is seven windows wide with square-headed openings to the fourth floor, segmental-headed to the second and third floors with red sandstone keystones and hood mouldings, all glazed in 2/2 timber sash windows. The first floor has square-headed window openings with corbelled reveals and moulded sill aprons while the ground floor has round-headed stepped window openings with decorative keystones hood mouldings and continuous dentilated impost moulding, both with single-pane timber sash windows. Off-centre three-centred arched stepped door opening with keystone hood moulding and modern brass doors.

The east elevation to the north section is four windows wide, detailed as per north elevation with a door opening to the southernmost bay (detailed as per north elevation with modern timber doorcase) and a further decorative doorcase to the corner bay. Doorcase comprises; stepped round-headed opening housing original double-leaf timber panelled doors and fanlight with red sandstone keystone stating; '1903 C F Ltd'. Over the door is a redbrick panel with a pair of decorative grotesque red sandstone spandrel panels surmounted by cornice with rosette course and blind balustrade above. Door opens onto three nosed granite steps.

The east elevation to the south section is six windows wide with a shallow breakfront to the central four bays from second to fourth floors. Window openings detailed as per above with red sandstone lintels to the first floor and slender round-headed window openings to the ground floor having paired hood mouldings and decorative label stops. Three-centred arched door opening to the southernmost bay, detailed as per north elevation with modern double-leaf timber doors and overlight. A further decorative doorcase to the northernmost bay is slightly advanced and has deep moulded round-headed door opening with sandstone keystone, circular rosette panels to the spandrels, a decorative balustrade above with terracotta balusters flanked by decorative square terracotta panels and rosette moulded course below. Double-leaf timber panelled doors with rectangular overlight and blank panel above opening onto the street.

South side elevation to the south section is nine windows wide with plain redbrick walling and segmental-headed window openings.

Rear elevation not visible.

Setting;
Corner sited on the junction of Adelaide Street and Clarence Street.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Replacement steel
Walling Redbrick
Windows Timber sash / aluminium

Historical information

The current building was constructed to designs by H W E Hobart as a linen warehouse for Fiddes, Todd and Corry Ltd, linen and handkerchief manufacturers and bleachers. The building is dated 1903 and is first shown on the sixth edition OS map of 1931. (Patton; www.dia.ie; Street Directories)

The warehouse enters valuation records in 1906 at a valuation of £330 as the property of Fiddes, Todd, Corry and Co Ltd. The adjoining building, distinguished from its neighbour by slightly different detailing to the facade, enters valuation records at the same time and is occupied by the Down Weaving Co Ltd who lease it from Glendinning McLeish and Co and is valued at £410. Street Directories suggest that this adjoining building was not completed and occupied until 1906. Both buildings remained in use as warehouse/factory premises connected with the textile industry until at least 1957. The building is now in use as restaurants and offices.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-3
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1901-2
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1931
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/P/1-8 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
6. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/32 – First General Revaluation (1936-57)
7. Street Directories (1904-1930)

Secondary Sources

1. Patton, M, “Central Belfast, An Historical Gazetteer” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1993
2. www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Attached multi-bay five-storey with attic-storey redbrick and red sandstone commercial building, dated 1903. Rectangular on plan, built in two slightly varying styles comprising a five-bay section to the north fronting onto Adelaide Street and Clarence Street (No.51-53), and a six-bay section to the south fronting onto Adelaide Street (No.55-59). This early twentieth-century former linen warehouse was built in two stages, designed by the prominent architect H. W. E. Hobart this fine red brick building displays an array of decorative façade details. It is situated on a prominent corner site and is one of the most significant commercial buildings in the Linen Conservation Area.