Carnegie Library

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An Edwardian two storey plus attic red-brick pedimented building in English Renaissance revival style dating from c.1905 to designs by architects Graeme Watt and Tulloch and built by the local firm Courtney & Co. Rectangular plan facing S with a single-storey gabled outshot to NW and a single storey hipped roof extension to N. Located to the corner of Falls Road and Sevastopol Street.

Pitched natural slate roof with raised stone verges and a small hexagonal ventilation cupola. Decorated cast iron hoppers discharging to cast iron rectangular section downpipes to S elevation and uPVC circular downpipes to W elevation. Cast iron ogee guttering and circular downpipes to rear. Brick walling laid to Flemish-bond with ashlar Giffnock sandstone dressings, quoins and string courses on chamfered stone plinth, now painted. Square headed windows to GF and segmental headed to FF, all with moulded architraves and keystones having 6/6 double hung timber sashes (unless stated otherwise).

South elevation:
The principal elevation is symmetrical, has nine bays and faces S. The three central bays are recessed and flanked by three-bay projecting pedimented elevations with sandstone quoins to E and W end.
Double arched single-storey projection in ashlar sandstone to centre of GF sits almost flush with side wings, having round arches supported on stone pilasters with decorated capitals. Moulded hood and keystone to arches and elaborately carved sculptures of angles to spandrels to designs of R. Praeger. Raised parapet to porch with embossed inscription in Art Nouveau lettering. Archway to W is open, has a painted metal gate and forms a small open porch with a round arched door opening. Double-leaf timber panelled door with fanlight and side lights having two replica plaques to top panels. Brick paving laid to herringbone pattern to floor and plastered soffit to entrance porch. Ramp in front of the entrance with stone dwarf walling topped by painted metal railings.
The archway to E has a round arched window opening with a three-part casement window and panelled apron. Rectangular section swan neck cast iron railings to window sill with decorated top rail.
Raised parapet to recessed central bay on dentilled cornice having embossed inscription in Art Nouveau lettering.
Wraparound moulded stone sills to FF and moulded string course at impost level.
Dentilled cornice and segmental headed windows with moulded architraves to pediments.

West elevation:
The W elevation consists of the four-bay two-storey main building to S and a three-bay single storey gabled outshot to N end.
Raised red brick parapet with stone pilasters and moulded coping stones above the dentilled cornice. Flush string course to arch spring level and moulded string course to FF.

Rear elevation:
The rear elevation faces N and consists of the rear elevation of the main two-storey building and the rear elevation of the single-storey extensions.
Two-storey three-bay gabled part to E end with segmental headed window openings having large three-part timber casement windows.
Two projecting two-storey bays immediately to W with segmental headed windows to FF facing N, a square headed window to FF and a square headed modern metal door to GF facing E. Abutted to N by a single storey hipped roof extension with a blind N elevation and four square-headed modern windows to E elevation.
Two-storey gabled outshot to W end with a square-headed window to FF abutted to N by the single storey pitched roof extension with a re-built blind elevation to N, in red brick. A low brick wall with stone coping surrounds a set of stone steps leading to the basement level.

East elevation:
Blind red brick wall to E elevation.

Setting:
The building is located to the corner of Falls Road and Sevastopol Street.
Private lane to E leading to the neighbouring industrial building. Rear yard is enclosed by red brick walling topped with modern railing and is accessed through a square headed door opening to E.
Paved yard to rear with single storey flat-roofed red brick extension.

Materials:
Roof natural slate
RWG cast iron/ uPVC
Walling red brick with Giffnock sandstone quoins and dressings
Windows timber sash windows

Historical information

In the early 1900s, the wealthy industrialist and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, granted £15,000 for three new libraries in Belfast. A competition in 1905, limited to local firms, to provide designs for the three new libraries was won by Graeme Watt and Tulloch out of a field of 30 entries. As well as this library on the Falls Road, there were also libraries on the Donegall Road and the Oldpark Road. The Library first appears in the Valuation Revision Books as a new entry in 1907 when it was given the rateable valuation of £216 (though, of course, as a public building it was exempt from paying rates).

The Library was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, the Earl of Shaftesbury, on 2 January 1908. The following day the Belfast Newsletter carried a report of the opening. The Library was described as ‘exceedingly handsome and well-appointed’ and that ‘the architects have skilfully adapted their plans to the conditions of the site and its environment.’ The description of the new building continued:

“Entrance is obtained by means of an arched doorway opening into a well lighted and well-arranged hall, from which is approached on the right the newsroom and on the left the lending library, in conjunction with which are the workroom, filing-room, stores and lavatory. A commodious staircase gives access to the upper floor, on which are situated the magazine-room, juvenile-room, and ladies room, each abundantly lighted. The whole building is so planned that the librarian has complete control of the various departments thus involving a minimum amount of labour in supervision.”

The style of the building was described as a ‘modified form of the Georgian style’. It was built of red brick with Scottish freestone from the Hunter’s Hill quarries. The general building contract was by Messrs Courtney & Co. The modelling of the sculptured spandrels over the entrance arches was by Rosamond Praeger and carved by Mr Winter under her supervision. The heating and ventilation was supplied by Musgrave & Co., while the mosaic floors were by Rust’s Vitreous Mosaic Company, London. The first librarian in charge was Thomas N. Coulson, formerly of Sunderland.

The value of the building contract was £3,969. The above newspaper article stated that the cost of the library was £4,700, though this may have included extras not part of the original contract.

Larmour (p. 69) described the style as ‘Wrenaissance’, an Edwardian version of English Classical architecture. He noted that the female figure plaques on the front door (‘Literature’ and ‘Art’, also designed by Praeger, had been remade in fibreglass, having originally been cast in bronze.

The library suffered at different times during the recent Troubles, including bomb damage in 1994. Between January and June 2011 a major programme of refurbishment was undertaken at a cost of £770,000.

Thanks to Andrew Carnegie’s generosity, over 2,500 Carnegie libraries were built around the world, nearly two-thirds of them in the United States. Over 600 were built in Britain and Ireland, including the very first in Carnegie’s native Dunfermline.

References

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
Valuation Revision Book, 1906-15 – VAL/12/B/43/J/3
Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1901 – OS/6/1/60/3
Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1920-31 – OS/6/1/60/4

Published sources
Belfast Newsletter, 3 January 1908
Paul Larmour, Belfast: an illustrated architectural guide (Belfast, 1987)

Northern Ireland Environment Agency
First Survey Record – HB/26/31/004
HB Records – HB/26/31/004

Online sources
Natural Stone Database: www.stonedatabase.com
Dictionary of Irish Architects: www.dia.ie (which
references Irish Builder, 11, 25 February, 4, 18 November, 2 December 1905).
Press release: www.northernireland.gov.uk/news-dcal-11112-minister-ni-chuilin

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
U. Historic Associations
X. Local Interest
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

In the early 1900s, the wealthy industrialist and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, granted £15,000 for three new libraries in Belfast. This one, located on the corner of Falls Road and Sevastopol Street, is a fine example of a sophisticated Edwardian building in English Renaissance revival style dating from c.1905 to designs by architects Graeme Watt and Tulloch and built by the local firm Courtney & Co. Rectangular plan facing S with a double-height single-storey gabled extension to NW and a single storey hipped roof extension to N.
Elaborately ornamented stone archways to front elevation with attractive angel sculptures to spandrels are by renowned Ulster sculptur, Rosamond Praeger . Although the building was refurbished in 2012 and its interior layout is changed, many original features survive including the main staircase, timber entrance screen, glazed timber screens to front facade and mosaic tiling. These features demonstrate the level of design and craftsmanship typically applied to Carnegie Libraries all over the world, this one retains its original style, scale and overall character and has social importance for the local community.