95-97 North Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached symmetrical two-bay three-storey with half-dormer attic red brick former house and shop, built c.1907, located on the northern side of North Street. Rectangular on plan, the rear elevation (north) is abutted by a full-height flat/mono-pitched return, which is further abutted by a gable-fronted multi-storey red brick return.

Pitched natural slate roof with pair of red brick chimneystacks to east and west ends, adorned with a motif of round-headed recesses with an ashlar sandstone upper section, surmounted by moulded coping and replacement terracotta pots. South pitch largely concealed behind a red brick parapet with sandstone coping and cornice over. Parapet is pierced by a square-headed dormer to each bay, which are in turn flanked by diminutive keyed round-headed openings, through which the roof extends; uPVC rainwater goods are mounted to these projecting hipped sections of roof. Walling is machine-made red brick laid to Flemish bond with ashlar sandstone dressings, including flush horizontal banding across the first and second floors. Window openings are largely square-headed; with frames and glass generally removed (some boarded with plywood sheets). Pair of largely modern shopfronts to ground floor.

Principal south elevation comprises a sandstone crown cornice on modillioned brackets over second floor level, with a pair of segmental undulations corresponding to the projecting keystones over the second floor windows. Each bay is set within a two-tier round-headed shallow recess, sprung from simplified T-profiled sandstone capitals over a carved and panelled sandstone pier, extending to a red brick lower proportion at first floor level. First and second floors each have a pair of window openings; first floor windows are square-headed openings with splayed sills, block-and-start moulded sandstone architraves, a flush pedimented-head and a flush rendered label over; second floor openings are segmental-headed with splayed sandstone sills, brick surrounds and a projecting foliated and scrolled sandstone keystone with segmental pediment over. Attic windows have projecting stone sills, brick architraves and are surmounted by a segmental-headed sandstone pediment, breaking through the parapet coping; 3/3 timber casement windows, largely without glass (modern frame to right-side, No.95). Pair of modernised square-headed shopfronts with integrated door openings to ground floor, largely concealed behind plywood boards. Original subdividing brick piers remain over modern fascia, with remnants of original painted sandstone pier to left-side, having a profiled capital matching that to second floor.

West elevation abutted by adjoining building No.99-101 (HB26/50/330).

North elevation and those of the rear returns appear to be blank (limited view due to surrounding buildings no access to rear yard).

East elevation abutted by adjoining building.

Setting
Street-fronted, the principal elevation faces south onto North Street and forms part of a wider group of similarly dated commercial buildings. The yard to the rear appears to be overgrown and bounded by a rendered and painted wall, with a public car park to the north.

Materials
Roof – Natural slate
RWG – uPVC
Walling – Red brick with sandstone dressings
Windows – Timber casements (largely removed/boarded up)

Historical information

Built c.1907 as an Edwardian house over commercial premises, which is first shown on the sixth edition OS map (1931).

Annual Revision records show that the present building replaced a pair of earlier townhouses; that at No.95 was occupied by a Mary Hanna and an Isabella Griffith, with a shop on the ground floor; No.97 by a Henry Hanna and valued at £21 and £19 respectively (Annual Revisions c.1882-1905). As the Annual Revisions note a significant increase in the rateable value of the two buildings c.1907, £110 and £66 respectively, it is thought the present buildings were constructed around this time. Contemporary Street Directories show that both buildings had commercial premises on the ground floor (McCann’s fruit shop at No.95 and James Nelson & Sons at No.97) but No.95 also contained out-offices to the rear and domestic rooms, which were occupied by McCann and his family and extended over the shop at No.97. The 1911 Census records show that by this time, this was one of the few buildings in North Street to function as both a commercial premises and a dwelling.

In 1921 the shop at No.97 was taken over by the British and Argentine Meat Co. Ltd, at which time the valuation of both buildings increased to £190 and £108 respectively, however no details for this are provided in the valuer’s notes and changes to the footprint are not discernable on the OS maps. The fruiterers at No.95 was taken over by a P. McNamee in 1927 but the McCanns remained in the house above and later operating a café in No.95 during the mid 20th century (Street Directories), by which time No.97 was operating as a children’s outfitters and the area headquarters of the British Legion.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 Fifth Edition OS map (1901-02)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6 Sixth Edition OS map (1931)
3. PRONI OS/8/30/5/56 Town Plan (1902-05)
3. PRONI VAL/12/E/192/J/29/3 Annual Revision map (1906-16)
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/1-41 Annual Revisions (1862-1930)
5. Belfast Street Directories (1880-1951)
6. 1901 & 1911 Census

Secondary Sources
1. Patton, Marcus ‘Central Belfast- An Historical Gazetteer (2nd Edition)’ UAHS, Belfast (2016)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest
R. Age

Evaluation

Built c.1907 as an Edwardian red brick house over commercial premises, on the north side of North Street in Belfast City Centre, this building is characterised by energetic and elaborate treatment of the principal façade, which features horizontal stone banding and displays fine carved sandstone detailing. While there has been substantial loss of historic detailing, much is still apparent, including vestiges of one of the original shop fronts. Constituting a good example of the stylistic exuberance of Edwardian domestic and commercial architecture, the building provides a significant reminder of Edwardian architecture within this section of the city centre.

General comments

also HB26/LQ281