2 Ben Madigan Park

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached five-bay single-storey with attic rendered villa on ‘L-shaped’ plan, designed by and built for Thomas McKee in 1928 having polygonal bays to south-west, south-east and north-east, curved bay to east and south and dormers to east and west. Single-storey extension to north. Located on an elevated site overlooking Belfast Lough to east and accessed from Ben Madigan Park from south. Outbuilding to north-west. Building enclosed by mature hedges to west and north and gardens to east and south.

Hipped red clay tiled roof having terracotta ridge tiles, mitred hips, overhanging eaves with painted sheeted soffit and moulded fascia. Cast-iron ogee moulded painted gutters discharging to circular downpipes. Pair of red brick chimneys having flat coping with dentil eaves course. Circular terracotta chimney pots. Square-headed openings having painted sills and casement windows, unless otherwise stated.

Front elevation to south comprises of five-bays with projecting hipped bay to west and polygonal bays to east; timber framed and glazed screen enclosing entrance lobby. Roughcast rendered walling with smooth render-band sill course and smooth plinth. Curved window bay to south-west projecting bay.

Side elevation to east comprises of five-bays with polygonal bays to north and south. Five-bay veranda extending between polygonal bays forming entrance canopy comprising of squared timber posts on rendered wall with decorative timber spandrels forming depressed arch. Decorative timber railing and balustrade. Leaded coloured glass to upper casement windows. Six-pane curved bay window. Five-panelled glazed and timber entrance door with leaded coloured glazing inset, sidelights and fanlights. Square-headed dormer having hipped roof.

Side elevation to north has polygonal bay to east and single-storey extension having hipped roof.

Rear elevation to west is four-bay with square-headed dormer having hipped roof.

Setting:
Located on an elevated site with views overlooking Belfast Lough to east and accessed from Ben Madigan Park from south. Outbuilding to north-west having hipped roof. Building enclosed by mature hedges to west and north and gardens to east and south. Timber decking with timber sheeted walling and timber balustrade to south.

Roof: Red clay tiles
RWG: Cast-iron
Walling: Roughcast render
Windows: Casement

Historical information

No. 2 Ben Madigan Park, a single-storey house located in the townland of Ballygolan, was constructed in 1928. The house was built as part of the suburban development of the townlands of Low Wood, Green Castle and Ballygolan which took place during the interwar period. The name Ben Madigan Park was derived from the Irish ‘Beann Mhadagáin’ (Madigan’s hill) which was the original name of Cavehill. Ben Madigan Park and Ben Madigan Park South were laid out between 1928 and c. 1935 on undeveloped land acquired by Thomas McKee, a Belfast-based builder and contractor who resided on Ravenhill Avenue.

The valuation sources note that all the houses on Ben Madigan Park and Ben Madigan Park South were owned by Thomas McKee who was undoubtedly responsible for the design of the buildings along both streets. No. 2 Ben Madigan Park was built in 1928 and was first recorded on the fifth edition Ordnance Survey map (1931) which depicted it as a square-shaped building with a small rear return (the single-storey extension to the north side of the dwelling was not added until the late-20th century). The First Survey record for No. 2 Ben Madigan Park suggested that Thomas McKee occupied No. 2 Ben Madigan Park as his personal dwelling, however the Belfast Street Directories note that the house was first occupied by his brother John McKee. The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) set the total rateable value of No. 2 Ben Madigan Park at £55 and recorded that John McKee leased the house from his brother. John McKee continued to reside at No. 2 Ben Madigan Park until his death in 1941 at which time the house passed to his widow Lucy (PRONI Wills). Following Lucy McKee’s death in 1946 No. 2 Ben Madigan Park was occupied Elizabeth R. Wood who remained at the address until at least the 1970s. The McKee family retained ownership of the house by the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) when the value of the house had been increased to £64.

The First Survey Record described No. 2 Ben Madigan Park in the following terms: ‘The most attractively sited of a quaint type of interwar house which abounds in the Ben Madigan area, clearly all by the same hand. Roughcast walls, red tiled roofs, pavilion-like polygonal bays to each end of a long veranda which has Japanese fret type balustrade.’ Field inspection of the site, carried out as part of the Second Survey, has found that a single-storey extension has been added to the north side of the house. The extension is in a sympathetic style to the rest of the dwelling and was added post-1960 as it did not appear on the Ordnance Survey map of that year.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/57/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1921)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/57/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1931)
3. PRONI VAL/3/B/1/3 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
4. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/57 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
5. Belfast Street Directories (1928-1970)
6. PRONI Wills Catalogue (29 Mar 1941; 29 Mar 1946)
7. First Survey Record – HB26/51/010 (No Date)
8. Ordnance Survey Map 114-13 (1960-61)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached five-bay single-storey with attic rendered villa on 'L-shaped' plan, designed by and built for Thomas McKee during the Inter-war era.The building retains much of its original form and character including polygonal bays with veranda, red tiled roof and some original timber casement windows having leaded coloured glass insets. Although of interest the building has replacement windows to the south and there are better examples listed.