Thompson House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Terraced two-bay three-storey with attic red brick and stucco former house, built in 1872, to the designs of R. Kelly, as one of seven similar houses (HB26/44/029A-G). Rectangular on plan facing east with original gable-ended lower three-storey red brick return. Set back on the west side of Antrim Road with a shared bitmac driveway set behind a low rendered wall and series of mature trees. Small enclosed front area and enclosed rear yard. Now interconnected with No.426 (HB26/44/029F) and in use as hostel accommodation.

Pitched natural slate roof with roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles set behind stucco parapet wall with deep moulded cornice and plain frieze. Original shouldered rendered chimney stack with lipped clay pots to north party wall. Replacement steel downpipe breaking through parapet wall to the north corner, uPVC downpipes to rear. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond with cement pointing and painted vermiculated quoins to the north corner of the front elevation only. Continuous moulded string courses at first and second floor sill levels. Square-headed window openings with decorative stucco surrounds, moulded sills and replacement single-pane timber sash windows with ogee horns (unless otherwise stated).

Two-bay three-storey east front elevation abutted by painted rendered three-sided canted bay window to the ground floor with continuous masonry sill, pla tband and shallow cornice to parapet. Decorative painted lugged architrave surrounds to the second floor with bracketed sills. First floor windows are framed by scrolled foliate console brackets supporting hood cornice and moulded sill supported on stepped brackets. Gauged brick to round-headed door opening to the left bay with projecting bull-nosed surround. Original painted timber panelled door with four raised-and-fielded panels and brass furniture. Door flanked by fluted Ionic columns supporting dentilated lintel cornice with plain glazed fanlight. Door opens onto terracotta tiled platform and three steps to bitmac and cobblelock front area enclosed by replacement steel railings and pedestrian gate.

South elevation abutted by adjoining house No.426 (HB26/44/029F).

Redbrick rear elevation abutted by original gable-ended redbrick three-storey return with lean-to projection, rendered to the ground floor. Gauged brick square-headed window openings with painted masonry sills and a mixture of 2/2 horizontally-glazed timber sash windows and replacement timber casement windows.

North side elevation abutted by four-storey red brick addition, built c.2005, extending to the rear access lane.

Roof Natural slate
RWG uPVC
Walling Red brick / Stucco
Windows Replacement timber sash

Historical information

Nos 416-428 Antrim Road, a terrace of seven three-storey red-brick buildings located along the west side of the Antrim Road, were constructed 1872. The Antrim Road was originally laid out in 1830. The second edition Ordnance Survey map (1858) records that the land to the north of the Belfast Waterworks and the Limestone Road remained predominantly rural in character by the 1850s. With the increase in Belfast’s population and the development of the shipbuilding, rope-making and textiles industries in the town, by the mid-19th century a number of gentlemen’s mansions and wealthy merchant’s houses had been constructed in the townland of Skegoneill which swiftly became one of the most affluent areas in Belfast. Nos 416-428 Antrim Road were constructed on the grounds of Hopefield House, a two-storey six-bay mansion that was occupied by the Sinclair family. The majority of the grounds were built over during the 1870s (nos 344-354 Antrim Road were also constructed on this parcel of land in 1877 – see HB26/44/028A-F).

Nos 416-428 Antrim Road was known as ‘Fortwilliam Terrace.’ The Annual Revisions note that the terrace was leased by Samuel Lawther, the manager of Samuel Lawther & Co. (local coal importers, ship and insurance brokers with business premises on Corporation Square) who resided on Duncairn Street (UTD). The terrace was designed by Redfern Kelly (1845-1928), a Belfast-based engineer who predominantly carried out contracts for the Belfast Harbour Commissioners. The Dictionary of Irish Architects notes that Kelly was responsible for the deepening of the Victoria Channel, the reconstruction of the Alexandra Graving Dock (following its collapse in 1905) and the construction of the Thompson Graving Dock. Despite the predominance of industrial contracts, Kelly also designed a Masonic Hall in Larne and the Murlough Cottages in Dundrum (DIA).

The Annual Revisions record that No. 428 Antrim Road was initially valued at £40 and that the first occupant of the building was J. C. Gardner, a flour merchant and starch manufacturer. Fortwilliam terrace was depicted on the third edition Ordnance Survey map (1901-02) which shows that the entire area had been developed with terraced streets by the turn of the 20th century. In 1901 No. 428 Antrim Road was occupied by James Lynas, a flax mill manager. In that year the census building return described his house as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 14 rooms. No. 428 Antrim Road was occupied by the Rev. Alexander Harrison, minister of Fortwilliam Park Presbyterian Church in the 1920s. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of the building was raised to £48. In 1937 the house was purchased by Belfast Corporation and was occupied by Her Majesty’s Government during the Second World War. In the aftermath of the war the building returned to domestic use but was converted into a number of self-contained apartments in 1969. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of the building had been further increased to £80.

Nos 416-428 Antrim Road was listed in 1987. The NIEA HB Records note that No. 428 had been converted into a rehabilitation hostel (administered by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland) by the time of its listing. In 1987-89 the building underwent a renovation that included the reslating of its roof in salvaged and the installation of new sliding sash window frames. In 1993 the hostel was extended into the adjoining No. 426. The pair continued to be used as a hostel at the time of the Second Survey (NIEA HB Records).

Resources

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1858)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1901-02)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1931)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1938)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/7-25 – Annual Revisions (1863-1905)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/F/4-7 – Annual Revisions (1905-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/3- First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-56)
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/1 - Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
9. Ulster Town Directories (1877-1943)
10. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
11. First Survey Record – HB26/44/029 (No Date)
12. NIEA HB Records – HB26/44/029F-G

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

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Mid terrace two-bay three-storey with attic red brick and stucco mid-Victorian house, built in 1872, as one of seven similar houses that were originally known as 'Fortwilliam Terrace' (HB26/44/029A-G) and designed by Redfern Kelly, a prominent engineer known for his work on behalf of Belfast Harbour Commissioners. The slightly elevated terrace is set back on the west side of Antrim Road and screened by a series of mature trees behind a low wall. Its distinctive appearance, with vertical emphasis, graduated fenestration and restrained neo-classical stucco mouldings exemplifies the formal aesthetics of the time. Prior to its development, the surrounding area of Skegoneil had been rural but following a period of rapid industrial expansion and population growth, many merchants were persuaded to move out of the overcrowded inner city. A similar terrace, also thought to have been designed by Kelly, formerly known as Castleton Terrace (HB26.46.012 B-F) and built in 1878, sits almost directly opposite on the east side of the Antrim Road. Despite modifications to the internal layout and the extension added to the end gable c.2010, this building is largely intact and has group value with the other listed buildings in this terrace. The survival of the original return adds to the historic value while the low plinth stone walls that flank the entrance steps, with carved anthemion panels, and the original stone pillar engraved with the word 'Terrace' at the site entrance, add further architectural interest.

Terraced two-bay three-storey with attic redbrick and stucco former townhouse, built in 1872, to the designs of R. Kelly, as one of seven similar houses set back on the west side of Antrim Road (HB26/44/029A-G). Although no longer in single occupancy, the exterior of this Victorian house exhibits many of the architectural devices of the period, including the vertical emphasis, graduated fenestration and restrained neo-classical stucco mouldings. The original return adds to the value of this house while some internal detailing has been retained. While the former house retains much of its external detailing to the front and rear elevations, the recent modern wing to the north gable detracts from both the house and the terrace as a whole.

General comments

No. 428 Antrim Road is interconnected at all levels to No.426 (HB26/44/029F).