9 Chichester Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Terraced four-storey over part raised basement brick Georgian former townhouse, built c.1804, as one of three (HB26/50/281A & C). Located on the south side of Chichester Street with railed basement area and now in use as a health centre.

Pitched slate roof hidden behind rendered blocking course and cornice. Shared rendered chimneystack to the west party wall. Dark redbrick walling laid in Flemish bond to front and rear elevations with rendered plinth course to the basement. Diminishing square-headed window openings formed in gauged brick with rendered reveals, painted masonry sills and multi-pane timber sash windows without horns.

Front elevation is three windows wide with a round-headed door opening to the east bay and railed basement area. Original 3/6 timber sash windows to the third floor, 6/6 timber sash windows to the second floor (original upper sashes, replacement lower sashes), largely replacement 6/6 timber sash windows to the first and ground floors, original 3/6 timber sash windows to the basement. Gauged brick round-headed door opening with projecting moulded surround and painted masonry doorcase. Replacement flush panelled timber door with brass furniture flanked by pair of slender Doric columns on plinth blocks supporting frieze blocks with paterae and recessed lintel cornice with elliptical patera. Semi-circular webbed iron fanlight and architrave surround. Door opens onto concrete paved platform and six concrete steps bridging the basement. Steps enclosed by plain wrought-iron railings set into the steps returning to enclose the basement area and set into a low concrete plinth wall. Timber fascia to basement wall with steel grilles over the windows.

East side elevation abutted by adjoining building No.11 (HB26/50/281C).

Rear elevation is two windows wide and abutted by a single-bay single-storey over basement flat-roofed rendered return, built c.1980. Largely replacement 6/6 timber sash windows except to ground floor having an original tripartite timber sash window and a bipartite timber sash window to the basement.

West side elevation abutted by adjoining building No.7 (HB26/50/281A).

Setting

Located on the south side of Chichester Street forming a uniform terrace of three similar buildings with a small enclosed yard to the rear fronting onto Pattersons Place.

Roof Slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling brick
Windows Timber

Historical information

No.9 Chichester Street, which formed part of a larger terrace (including HB26/50/281 A+C), was built as private residence in 1804, to the designs of an unknown architect.

The terrace is first shown on a map of Belfast town c1818, on a previously undeveloped site (map c.1791) close to the White Linen Hall building, which was located where the City Hall now stands (HB26/50/001A). In the Townland Valuation (1830s) the house and yard of No.9 was first listed at £23 and occupied by a Miss Morrow.

During the mid 19th century No.9 was occupied by James Reid followed by two linen manufacturers on separate floors (Street Directories). Griffith’s Valuation (1859-60) indicates that the owner of No.7 and No.9 was Mr. Edward McDowall and that each consisted of two parlours, two dinning rooms, six bedrooms, two basements, a scullery, pantries, W.C, stable and yard. No.7 was valued at £55, while No.9 was listed at £60, despite being “…a good deal out of repair.” according to the valuer’s notes.

The late 19th century marked the move away from the buildings being utilised for solely residential purposes. By the turn of the century, both No.9 and No.7 became subdivided and each unit let to separate occupiers. During this time both buildings were occupied by several solicitors, which included the firm of L’Estrange and Brett, who took up residency of No.9 in 1883 and remained there for 115 years (Street Directories). The Belfast Revaluations (1900) show that Charles H. Brett, of L’Estrange and Brett, purchased both No. 9 and No.7 (HB26/50/281 A), as well as No.11 (HB26/50/281 C). The building (No.9) was listed at £108 in the Belfast Valuations (1900) and the value did not significantly change until the First Revaluations (1935) when the offices valued £156 and the caretakers rooms on the third floor and basement were noted at £8.

By the mid 20th century both No.7 and No.9 had vacant top floors, which along with the basements, had previously been occupied by the resident caretakers (Street Directories). During the late 20th century the rear of the terraces were badly damaged by two explosions in the alley directly behind. The rear was subsequently rebuilt in the years following and restoration work was carried out to the roof and façade (HB File). The premises of No.9 continued to be occupied by L’Estrange & Brett throughout the 20th century until 1998 when the firm relocated to another address and the building is now a private clinic and offices. The esteemed solicitor, journalist and architectural historian, Sir Charles Brett was a partner in this, his family firm from 1954-94 (Craig).

This surviving section of what had been once been a larger Georgian terrace is built in the typical ‘Dublin-style’ of that period (Larmour).

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/1/61/1- First Edition OS Map (1829-35)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2- First Edition OS Map (1832-33)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3- Second Edition OS Map (1858)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4- Third Edition OS Map (1901-2)
5. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6- Fourth Edition OS Map (1931)
6. PRONI T1541/4 - Map of Belfast (1791)
7. PRONI T1541/5- Map of Belfast (1818)
8. PRONI T1541/1 – Map of Belfast Reduced from the 60’ Survey and updated (1864)
7. PRONI VAL/1/B/720- Townland Valuations (1830s)
8. PRONI VAL/2/B/7/1A- Griffith’s Valuation (1859-60)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/A1- Annual Revisions (1862-82)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C35- Annual Revisions (1906-15)
11. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/14- First General Revaluation (1935)
12. The Ulster Street Directories (1805-1998)
13. HB File (HB26/50/017 A)

Secondary Sources

1. Larmour, P “Belfast, An Illustrated Architectural Guide” 1987
2. Brett, C.E.B “The Buildings of Belfast 1700-1914” 1985 ed
3. Patton, Marcus “Central Belfast- An Historical Gazetteer” UAHS, Belfast (1993)
4. www.dia.ie - Dictionary of Irish Architects online
5. Craig, Patricia The Independent, Obituaries, “Sir Charles Brett” December (2005) www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sir-charles-brett-520623.html
6. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, www.oxforddnb.com/public/index.html

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

Terraced four-storey over part raised basement brick Georgian former townhouse, built c.1805, as one of three (HB26/50/281A-C). Located on the south side of Chichester Street with railed basement area and now in commercial use. Severely damaged by a bomb in 1972, the former townhouse has undergone extensive restoration together with No 7. Much historic fabric and detailing survive, together with the original plan form. The terrace constitutes a rare example of late Georgian domestic architecture in Belfast and forms an elegant composition among largely late Victorian commercial buildings. It is also of note along with the remaining fragments of the Georgian city in Wellington Place.

General comments

Renumbered as part of a terrace.
Formerly HB26/50/017A including Nos. 7 & 9.