40 Fortwilliam Park

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single storey High-Victorian building in Italianate style dating from c.1865. Rectilinear plan form with a single-storey extension to W. The building is located to the N side of Fortwilliam Park and was originally built as a gate lodge to Walton House (HB26.46.003 A). Hipped natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles. Half round painted metal guttering to extension discharging to circular downpipes. Ashlar sandstone walling on projecting plinth. Overhanging moulded cornicing topped with a raised parapet. Replacement timber sash windows to front elevation, timber casement windows to rear and extension (unless noted otherwise).

South Elevation:
The principal elevation faces S onto Fortwilliam Park and consists of a three-sided canted bay, a SE facing doorcase (described as part of the E elevation) to E and a rendered extension to W. The canted bay has squared pilasters that extend from base plinth to impost level to support round arched windows with moulded architraves and projecting keystones; single windows to side bays and paired windows to central bay. Square-headed timber casement windows to extension.

East elevation:
The E elevation consists of a hipped roof bay having shallow projecting breakfront to the N end with tripartite round-arched windows, moulded architraves and projecting keystone. A shallow projecting distyle portico faces the SE, with square pilasters and Corinthian capitals to support an entablature and raised parapet over. Round-arched double-leaf timber panelled entrance doors with moulded architrave and projecting keystone.

North elevation:
The rear elevation faces N and consists of a single bay to E and the two-bay wide extension to W. Ashlar sandstone to E, rendered walling to extension. Recessed door opening facing W having a modern timber sheeted door to E bay. Square-headed window openings with concrete sills to extension.

West elevation:
Single storey W elevation with hipped roof; raised ground level.

Setting:
The gate lodge is located to the N side of Fortwilliam Park and forms part of the gateway to Walton House (HB26.46.003). The gateway consists of four boundary pillars and two gate pillars of rendered square section, panelled to front (S) side and with corbelled coping stones. Low sandstone walling with double canted coping runs between boundary pillars and supports a modern railing over. Small tarmaced yard to E enclosed by timber fencing. The rear yard (to N) has concrete paving and is enclosed to N by stone walling topped by sheeted timber panels.

Materials
Roof: Natural slate
RWG: Metal
Walling: Ashlar sandstone/ rendered to extension
Windows: Replacement timber sashes to front/ timber casements to rear and extension

Historical information

No. 40 Fortwilliam Park, a single-storey Italianate sandstone building, was constructed in c. 1865 as the gate lodge to Morven House (HB26/46/003). The gentleman’s manor, now known as Walton House, was first recorded in the Annual Revisions book dated 1862-66. The valuer did not record the exact date of construction but the accompanying notes suggest that the house was built towards the end of the period covered by the book (1865 or 1866). The Annual Revisions note that the gate lodge was constructed shortly after the completion of Morven House and was valued at £10. Throughout its history Morven House has been occupied by a number of Belfast’s most prominent businessmen. The first occupant of the mansion was a Mr Henry Kirk who leased the site from William Valentine (of Fortwilliam House) and was a partner in Lowry, Valentine & Kirk, General Commission Merchants with business premises on Wellington Place (UTD).

Morven House was constructed on one of the parks formed from the breaking up of the Fortwilliam Estate in the mid-19th century. Fortwilliam Park was laid out in c. 1864 and Larmour states that many grand mansions were erected on the former estate in the 1860s and 1870s but Morven House is one of the few survivors of that period. Larmour and Dean tentatively attribute the design of the house to the Glaswegian architect James Hamilton who is believed to have been responsible for the design of the gateway at the Shore Road entrance to Fortwilliam Park (also constructed in c. 1865). Larmour states that Morven House and the gateway share certain features such as a carved hand that appears on both structures. Dean describes the gate lodge as an ‘L-plan lodge, In blotchy orange sandstone, [that] echoes the semi-circular-headed arcading of the house in its square aedicule tripartite window and a canted bay which projects beyond the gate screen’ (Larmour, p.31; Dean, p. 30; DIA).

The third edition Ordnance Survey map (1901-02) records that the gate lodge was originally a square-shaped structure that did not possess its current west-facing return (which was added in the late-20th century). Walton House was acquired by the Irish Dominican Sisters in 1930 and was subsequently converted into a convent school. The Dominican College website states that the decision by the Sisters to found a school ‘arose from their reading the signs of the times. Belfast had developed rapidly as a commercial city in the 1920s and the need for secretarial training for young women was seen by the Sisters as an apostolic challenge to provide such in a religious and cultural atmosphere.’ Following the conversion of the building, Walton House reopened in 1930 as a grammar school, preparatory school and secretarial college administered by the Irish Dominican Sisters. The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland records that, following the conversion of Walton House into a school, its former gate lodge was leased out as a private dwelling by the Dominican Sisters. In the 1930s the building was occupied by a Mr. James McCrory, a chauffeur, and valued at £8. By the end of the Second Revaluation the former gate lodge had been increased in value to £10 and was the home of a Mr. E. Ward.

During the First Survey (1985) the gate lodge continued to be owned by Dominican Convent and was occupied by the school’s grounds man. No. 40 Fortwilliam Park was listed in 1987. The NIEA HB Records note that a flat-roof extension had been added to west side of the former gate lodge by the 1990s. The building underwent an extensive renovation in 1993 when a pitched roof was added to the extension, new timber sliding sash windows were installed, cast iron rainwater goods were added, the chimney stack rebuilt and the roof recovered in salvaged slates (NIEA HB Records). During the Second Survey No. 40 Fortwilliam Park remained in use as a private dwelling.

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/2/B/1/21C – Griffith’s Valuation (1859)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/5/8A-F – Annual Revisions (1862-1897)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/H/1-7 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/11- First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-72)
9. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/14 - Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
10. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1943)
11. First Survey Record – HB26/46/005 (1985)
12. NIEA HB Records – HB26/46/005

Secondary Sources
1. Dean, J. A. K., ‘The gate lodges of Ulster: A gazetteer’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994.
2. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1987.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie
2. Dominican College Website - http://www.dominicancollege.org.uk/

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A single storey Italianate style High-Victorian gate lodge dating from c.1865. Rectilinear plan form with a single-storey extension to W. The building is located to the N side of Fortwilliam Park and was originally built as a gate lodge to Walton House (HB26.46.003 A) with which it has grouip value. It is constructed from the same sandstone in a style similar to that employed at Walton House, replicating the round-arched windows and portico. Despite the addition of the extension, the building retains its architectural merit. The associated walling and gate piers contribute to its architectural interest.