Westcourt Centre

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached symmetrical multi-bay two-storey red brick former school, built c. 1929, to the designs of Francis McArdle. U-shaped on plan facing northwest with a pair of pedimented breakfronts to either end, an additional block to the south and a two-storey central stair wing to the rear. Located within its own enclosed site on the south side of Divis Street, it is now in community educational use.

Pitched natural slate roofs with roll-moulded terracotta ridge tiles and lead valleys. Single red brick chimneystack to the north wing. Ogee-moulded cast-iron guttering to moulded concrete eaves cornice with cast-iron box hoppers and square downpipes breaking through. Machine-made red brick walling laid in Flemish bond with projecting red brick plinth course having chamfered concrete trim, concrete frieze between floors and further painted concrete frieze below eaves. Square-headed window openings to the first floor, segmental-headed to the ground floor with diamond-faced keystones and lateral keystones. Concrete sills and replacement 6/6 timber sash windows with horns throughout (unless otherwise stated).

Symmetrical front elevation is fifteen windows wide with a central entrance and pedimented breakfronts to either end, each three windows wide. A further single-bay two-storey flat-roofed red brick block added to the south end c.1940. Full pediments to both breakfronts formed in moulded concrete, surmounted by a concrete cross on stepped base and a lunette opening to the pediment having keystones and a red brick apron with decorative terracotta stepped trim. The first floor windows to the breakfronts have red brick aprons while the central window has a Portland limestone apron with decorative carved crest framing a Celtic cross and ribbon banner over with Latin and Irish lettering. Tripartite entrance breakfront with a deeply coved and quoined round-headed door opening, diamond-faced keystone, replacement double-leaf timber panelled doors, timber spoked fanlight and internal glazed doors. Slender round-headed window opening to either side with block-and-start concrete surround and horizontally-glazed 2/2 timber sash windows. The breakfront is surmounted by painted concrete frieze and parapet with a central panelled parapet wall flanked by squat panelled piers having raised lettering to the panel stating; ‘Christian Brothers’ / Secondary School.’. Door opens onto three concrete steps to front bitmac paved area.

North side elevation is nine windows wide, detailed as per front elevation.

The rear elevation extends to either end as a pair of gable-ended projections with a central flat-roofed two-storey red brick stair wing to the centre. The courtyard elevations are abutted by a cantilevered concrete terrace, coated in bitumen with wrought-iron railings and a pair of steel fire escapes. Gauged brick segmental-headed window openings to the ground floor, square-headed to the first floor with some original 6/6 timber sash windows. To both floors are tall door openings with vertically-sheeted timber doors having sidelights and multi-pane overlights.

South side elevation is nine windows wide, detailed as per front elevation.

Setting

Located to the south of Divis Street, enclosed to the road by wrought-iron railings set on low red brick and concrete plinth wall with matching gates. Bitmac paved site with detached single-storey block to the north and a range of single-storey rendered buildings to the rear of the site.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Red brick
Windows Timber sash

Historical information

The former Christian Brothers Secondary School, now renamed the Westcourt Centre, was constructed in 1926-9 to designs by Francis McArdle, who completed several commissions for the Catholic church at this period. The building is first shown on the sixth edition OS map of 1931.

The Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools, which became known as the Christian Brothers, was founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice, a wealthy Waterford trader, in 1802. Rice had been concerned by the absence of education for the Catholic poor and set out to provide free schooling to the working and artisan classes, with teachers who were monastically trained. The schools were an immediate success and schools and monasteries were established throughout Ireland and ultimately world-wide. (Christian Brothers Golden Jubilee Souvenir).

On 12th May 1866 the Brothers opened their first school in Belfast, designed by John O’Neill and known as St Mary’s (now gone), in Divis Street beside the present building. Further schools were opened in Donegall Street (1867), Oxford Street (1874) and a ‘Trades Preparatory School’ was opened at Hardinge Street (1903) which provided a technical education for older boys (Christian Brothers Golden Jubilee Souvenir). The present school building opened as St Mary’s Christian Brothers Secondary School for Boys in 1929 and replaced an earlier ‘ragged school’ on the site. The school offered spacious classrooms and modern facilities, including science laboratories (http://stmaryscbgs.com).

The school entered valuation records in 1930 at £345, with minor additions in 1931 increasing the valuation to £363. The cost was £20,000 and valuer’s notes of the period show that the accommodation comprised 16 classrooms, two cloak rooms, a waiting room and a teachers’ room. A long range of buildings to the rear (still present) provided ‘lavatories’ (or washrooms) and stores.

Following the Education Act of 1947, which introduced compulsory education to the age of 15, numbers at St Mary’s grew steadily and the former secondary became a grammar school in 1954. Around this time an additional block was constructed at the extreme right of the building. From 1962 the school began to develop a campus at Glen Road, and in 1998 the Barrack Street school was closed, the event being marked by a function at which President Mary McAleese spoke, her husband and brothers having been former pupils. The school is vividly described by alumnus the poet and novelist Ciaran Carson in his 1997 work, ‘The Star Factory’ (http://stmaryscbgs.com).

Renamed the ‘Westcourt Centre’ the building is still supported by the Christian Brothers of Northern Ireland, and houses a community facility which aims to promote social inclusion and reduce disadvantage through education (www.westcourtcentre.org).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1931
2. PRONI VAL/12//B/43/E/23 – Annual Revisions (1930-35)
3. PRONI VAL/12/A/7/P/28 – Valuer’s notes 1930
4. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/23 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
5. PRONI VAL/3/D/3/1/M/17-72 First General Revaluation (1933-57)

Secondary Sources

1. Christian Brothers Golden Jubilee Souvenir 1866-1916
2. http://stmaryscbgs.com
3. www.westcourtcentre.org
4. www.dia.ie – Dictionary of Irish Architects online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Detached symmetrical multi-bay two-storey red brick former school built c 1929 to the designs by Francis McArdle. U-shaped on plan facing northwest with a pair of pedimented breakfronts to either end, an additional block to the south and a two-storey central stair wing to the rear. A good example of a Georgian revival style commonly used in the building of schools during the early twentieth-century. Much historic fabric and detailing survive, including the plan form. The history of the site, adjacent to that of the first Catholic school in Belfast (1866), is also of note. It is a good example of the type and represents the development of education in response to the growth of the City in the early Twentieth century.