2-14 Union Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A four storey red brick former warehouse running along the south side of Union Street turning the corner into Little Donegall Street Built c.1895 by J.J. Stafford and Sons Ltd..

The roof is pitched slate (unseen) behind a solid parapet. A gutter sits on the facade fed from the parapet gutter through arched outlets; it is uPVC and the rainwater downpipes are round cast iron and replacement uPVC. The walls are red brick laid in English garden wall bond; moulded brick cornice; moulded brick strings below each cill level except ground floor where projecting brick connects cills; terracotta plaques of roses within whorls of foliage runs below second floor string. Windows to each floor have segmental arches, bullnosed surrounds and sandstone cills to upper floors, grey stone to ground floor; the ground floor windows to numbers 2-10 have been widened (unseen behind shutters and modern fascia). Three main doors have bracketed pediments over segmental arches. The windows are 2 pane 1/1 timber sashes. Doors are replacement timber.

The main northwest elevation is 21 windows wide with one window wide canted corner to right. A door sits to the left corner, one 11 windows to right with a secondary door adjacent to right, a further door is located on canted corner.

The side northeast elevation is abutted by a building.

The rear southeast elevation is abutted by a modern single storey building above which is blank brick.

The side southwest elevation is 2 window wide with the canted corner to the left. It matches the northwest elevation, a second floor window has been replaced with louvred doors.

Setting:
The building sits along the south side of narrow Union Street turning the corner into Little Donegall Street. On the opposite side of Union Street is a three storey terrace with The Front Page pub (HB26/50/309) on the east corner.

Scedule:
Roof: slate (unseen)
Walls: brick
Windows: timber sash
RWGs: cast iron and replacement uPVC.

Historical information

Numbers 12 to 14 Union Street were built c1895 as a wholesale boot and shoe warehouse and offices for W J Heuston, and remained a boot and shoe warehouse, although under another ownership, for the next hundred years. In 1900, Heuston built a further warehouse with shops to the ground floor on a vacant plot to the rear of the property and this premises subsequently became number 2 (warehouse) and numbers 4-10 (shops), both buildings appearing for the first time on the fourth edition OS map of 1901-2. The architect of both warehouses appears to have been John J O’Shea, who is known to have designed a warehouse for ‘Mr T Houston’ in Union Street in 1900. O’Shea’s commissions included Catholic churches as well as commercial and domestic premises (www.dia.ie). The construction cost of numbers 12-14 was £1,510 and the building is listed in the Belfast Revaluation of 1900 at £110.

The initial occupant in number 2 was Tom Stirling and the building was valued at £33 in 1900. The shops were valued at £12.10s each and were initially let to H Hook & Co, produce and commission agents; Agnew & Co, wholesale printers and stationers and the Irish Loan Company. In 1911 Heuston’s warehouse at numbers 12-14 was taken over by another boot and shoe manufacturer, J J Stafford and Sons Ltd who remained in the building until the 1990s. The shops and warehouse to the rear passed through a number of tenants including drapers, hairdressers, booksellers and engravers. The warehouses and shops are currently in use as a bar, restaurant and sauna.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1901-2
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1931
3. PRONI VAL/7/B/9/20 – Belfast Revaluation 1900
4. Street Directories 1895-1995

Secondary Sources

1. Patton, M “Central Belfast: An Historical Gazetteer” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1993

Evaluation

An extensive four storey red brick former warehouse running along the south side of Union Street turning the corner into Little Donegall Street Built c.1895 by J.J. Stafford and Sons Ltd. it retains its historic character and details and its integrity as a former warehouse in its rhythm of the facade and the structural cast iron columns.