29-31 Waring Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A three storey red brick commercial building on the corner of the south side of Waring Street and Skipper Street. Built 1902-3 in a simple Classical style.

Roof is flat, unseen behind solid parapet, rainwater pipes are recessed replacement square metal. Walls are red brick laid in English garden wall bond; moulded stone and brick cornice; ashlar stone string over and connecting windows with projecting brick mould over that on first floor; terracotta floral string between windows; dentilled brick string below second floor windows. Ground floor has a stone entablature on stone pilasters with recessed panels to shafts, egg and dart capitals. The windows are 2 pane 1/1 timber sashes, the ground floor has plate glass windows and doors.

The main north elevation is 6 windows wide, regularly spaced. The ground floor has 5 columns, the main entrance is flanked by windows with an original secondary doorway to the west now a window.

The side east elevation is 2 windows wide, 3 columns to the ground floor.

The rear south elevation is abutted by a three-storey building.

The side west elevation is abutted by a modern three-storey building.

Setting

The building sits on the corner of Waring Street and Skipper Street in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter. On the opposite side of Skipper Street is a former Ulster Bank building (now The Cloth Ear HB26/50/058B) and The Merchant Hotel (HB26/50/058A).

Roof: flat unseen
Walls: brick
Windows: timber
RWGs: metal.

Historical information

The present building was constructed in 1902-3 as offices for James Gallaher, grain merchant. The building is first shown on the sixth edition OS map of 1931.

James Gallaher occupied offices on this site in Waring Street from at least 1877 with a variety of other businesses also sharing the site, from shoemakers and tailors to the ‘Universal Parcel Express’. James Gallaher rebuilt the premises with offices for himself on the ground floor and six further offices for letting purposes on the first and second floors. The building cost £1200 to construct and enters valuation records in 1903 with the ground floor valued at £60 and offices on the upper floors ranging from £6.10s to £14. Gallaher’s grain business remained in the building until the 1950s but from the 1940s to the 1980s the ground floor was taken over by the Hamilton steamship company who shared it with the Consulate of the Dominican Republic.

In the late 1990s the present building and its neighbour at 23-27 were taken over by the Young Help Trust and refurbished as a training centre to designs by Lyons Architects. The limestone shopfronts were restored and the upper floors continue in use as offices while the ground floor is let out as a commercial premises (Perspective).

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/12/A/7/L/21 Valuer’s Notes 1903
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/1-45 (1863-1930)
5. Street Directories 1870-1980
6. Perspective Jan/Feb 1997

Secondary Sources

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

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A three storey red brick commercial building on the corner of Waring Street and Skipper Street. Built c.1900 in a simple Classical style it retains its robust rhythm and proportions with original detailing. It is a late example of a common type and not of special architectural or historical significance.