224 Antrim Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

End of terrace two-bay three-storey with attic sandstone former house, built c.1890, with full-height canted bay window and three-storey return, now divided into flats. Terminating a terrace of houses lining the west side of Antrim Road at the junction with Eia Street.

Pitched natural slate roof with roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles, and set behind slightly raised south gable having raking stone coping on moulded kneeler stones and surmounted by a tall profiled sandstone chimneystack. Lead ridges to the bay with cast metal guttering set on moulded sandstone eaves course and metal downpipes. Random coursed tooled sandstone ashlar walling with painted moulded plinth course, continuous sill course at first floor and frieze below eaves. Square-headed window openings with smooth sandstone ashlar sills and surrounds, having stop-chamfered jambs and broken pediment detail notched in to window head. 1/1 panes to single-pane timber sash windows with slender ogee horns. 'EIA' inscribed on stone head over middle of GF bay window.

Two-bay three-storey front (E) elevation with three-storey canted bay and gabled entrance porch to the right. Segmental arch headed door opening with decorative shoulder stones flanked by stop-chamfered piers and corbels supporting squat columns with stiff-leaf capitals and lead-lined stone coping to shallow pediment. Possibly original timber door with diagonally-sheeted panels flanked by side panels and plain fanlight over having etched glazing stating; ‘Society of St. Vincent de Paul’. Door opens onto stone platform and two nosed stone steps flanked by painted stone plinth walls. Small front area enclosed by iron railings set on stone plinth wall with matching gates.

Two-bay gabled south side elevation is extended by a further four windows as a lower three-storey return. A pair of diminutive round-headed windows occupy the gable at attic storey. Side elevation also has a small area enclosed by railing as per above.

Rear (W) elevation abutted by three-storey return having a stepped rear gable built in red brick laid in English garden wall bond and having uPVC windows.

N side elevation abutted by adjoining three-storey red brick building.

Roof: Natural slate
RWG : Cast-iron
Walling Tooled sandstone with ashlar sandstone dressings.
Windows: Timber sash to front and gable / uPVC to rear

Setting:
Terminating a terrace of houses lining the west side of Antrim Road with south gable and return fronting onto Eia Street. Small rear yard enclosed by tall rendered wall.

Historical information

No. 224 Antrim Road, a three-storey two-bay sandstone terraced house located at the corner of Eia Street, was constructed in 1870. The Antrim Road was originally laid out in 1830 but the second edition Ordnance Survey map (1858) records that the area remained predominantly rural in character with only a small number of gentleman’s manors having been constructed between the Cliftonville and Cavehill Roads at that time.

No. 224 Antrim Road was constructed on land that was leased by William Ridgeway Jackson (c. 1840-1886), a local engineer and architect who the younger son of Thomas Jackson (1807-1890). Thomas Jackson was responsible for the laying out of Cliftonville in the 1830s and also designed a number of Belfast’s most significant mid-19th century buildings including St. Malachy’s Roman Catholic Church and the Old Museum on College Square North. William R. Jackson, along with his elder brother Anthony T. Jackson (1838-1917), entered into partnership with their father in c. 1867 to form Thomas Jackson & Sons. Plans held at Belfast City Hall record that No. 224 Antrim Road was designed by the family firm in 1870 (Listing File; DIA).

William R. Jackson did not reside at No. 224 Antrim Road but leased the building to Robert A. Macrory, a local solicitor whose firm, Macrory & Co., held offices on Waring Street as well as an office in Dublin (UTD). Macrory’s dwelling, which was known as ‘Eia,’ was initially valued at £58 by the Annual Revisions, although this was raised to £65 following the erection of a rear outbuilding in 1875. No. 224 Antrim Road was the first building to be constructed along the current terrace between Eia Street and Allworthy Avenue (nos 224-236 Antrim Road). The adjoining three-storey red-brick terrace was constructed in the 1880s and was known as ‘Laurington Terrace.’ Macrory purchased the house outright by the turn of the 20th century and continued to reside at No. 224 until c. 1901 when the Census of Ireland noted that the house lay vacant.

Eia House was leased by the Macrory family to a Dr. John Smyth Morrow in c. 1905. Morrow was a physician who taught at Queen’s University Belfast and resided at No. 224 Antrim Road with his wife and daughter. In 1911 the census building return described the house as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 20 rooms and possessed a stable, coach house and store amongst its outbuildings (located to the rear of the property – now demolished). Morrow vacated Eia House in c. 1920 when Samuel J. Hutchinson, a local dental surgeon, took possession of the site. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) Hutchinson’s dwelling was increased in value to £94. Macrory’s family continued to lease No. 224 Antrim Road to Hutchinson by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) at which time the value of the building stood at £80.

No. 224 Antrim Road was listed in 1987. The NIEA HB Records note that from the 1980s the building was owned by the St. Vincent de Paul Society and used as a charity shop. The building underwent an extensive renovation in c. 1989 which included the repair of its sliding sash windows, the restoration of its stonework, the replacement of its chimney pots and the installation of cast iron rainwater goods. The building continued to be used as a business premises for the St. Vincent de Paul Society until c. 2009 when it was converted into seven self-contained apartments (NIEA HB Records).

Resources

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1832-33)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1858)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1901-02)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1931)
5. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1938)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/1-25 – Annual Revisions (1860-1905)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/F/4-7 – Annual Revisions (1905-1930)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/3- First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-56)
9. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/1 - Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
10. Ulster Town Directories (1868-1943)
11. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
12. First Survey Record – HB26/42/011 (No Date)
13. NIEA Listing File – HB26/42/011
14. NIEA HB Records – HB26/42/011

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

End of terrace two-bay three-storey sandstone former house, built c.1870, with full-height canted bay and three-storey return on behalf of W.R. Jackson, son of Thomas Jackson. The family firm, Thomas Jackson & Sons, were also responsible for the design. This house is somewhat unique in its immediate context, as although it was clearly intended as an end of terrace dwelling, it is the only one built in sandstone, with the remaining five houses, whilst having similar proportions and aligned eaves and ridges, are constructed in red brick. The building is well proportioned and has generously glazed front and side elevations with elaborate stonework to the projecting gabled entrance porch, dressed stone detail to corbelled eaves, chimney and window surrounds that make it distinctive within the surrounding urban environment. Despite some blocked up openings to the rear, this house retains architectural interest, which is further enhanced by the ornate entrance gates, stone steps, plinth walls and railings that define the site boundary.