Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/50/013

Address :
Linen Hall Library 17 Donegall Square North Belfast County Antrim BT1 5GP

Townland:
Malone Lower

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
26/06/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Library

Former Use
Warehouse

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
130-13SE

IG Ref:
J3373 7409

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

A corner-sited three-storey former linen warehouse originally constructed 1864 by Lanyon Lynn & Lanyon on the N side of Donegall Square, converted in 1891 to house the Linen Hall Library constructed of grey brick with hipped slate roof with leaded hips and ridges. The south elevation is five windows wide and three stories high of light grey brick laid in Flemish bond, with string course and ornamental brickwork in relief above first floor and five courses of corbelled brickwork to form eaves. At ground floor, the recessed entrance to the library with its linen swags and red hand of Ulster is in the middle of the elevation, set in a porch with plain Doric pilasters on tall bases supporting pediment and fretted balustrade. On either side of the entrance are modern shopfronts. At first floor, the windows are tall plain sashes with fixed top lights containing stained glass, set under pediments. Second floor windows are plain sashes with segmental heads and keystones, and all windows have moulded architraves. The west elevation is linked to the front elevation by a chamfered bay; this elevation is seven bays long, with similar proportions to the front elevation but without architraves, keystones, pediments or string course detailing. At the N end a former gap has been filled with a recent glass link block, and the first and second floors of the adjoining 48-50 Fountain Street (HB26/50/273) now leased by and part of the library. North and east elevations are abutted by adjoining buildings. Setting The Library is one of the 19th and early 20th century buildings round Donegall Square. It occupies a prominent corner location and is amongst the earliest surviving buildings in the vicinity. External walls: brick Roof: Natural slate Windows: timber Rainwater goods: cast iron

Architects

Lanyon, Lynn & Lanyon (not attributed)

Historical Information

Originally constructed as a linen warehouse in 1864 to designs prepared by the Belfast firm Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon, the building was converted to a library for the Belfast Society for Promoting Knowledge, in 1891 by Young and MacKenzie. The building is first shown on the 1879 map of Belfast and is listed in the Annual Revisions (1862-82), as the warehouse and yard of linen manufacturers Moore and Weinberg, with a value of £350. The Linen Hall Library was first listed as occupier of the building (first, fourth and caretakers rooms) in 1891, at a value of £150 in the general Revisions (1880-96). At this time the library also leased two ground floor units and part of the second and third floors as offices and storerooms, to a combined value of £250. As a result of redesign and expansion into the second and attic floors in 1900 and 1907 respectively, the Annual Revisions (1906-15) list an increased value of £280. Extensive alterations coupled with expansion into rear premises during the 1920s were reflected in the First General Revaluation (1935) in which a value of £620 was assigned (Killen). The Belfast Reading Society was founded in 1788 amidst an era of societal and self-improvement, with the aim of collecting and running a subscription library for its members. Changing its name to The Belfast Society for Promoting Knowledge in 1792, leading members included Henry Joy McCracken, Roger Mulholland, Thomas Russell, Samuel Neilson, William Osborne and many other key figures of Belfast society (Killen). From 1802, the premises were located in the White Linen Hall (which is where the unofficial title of Linen Hall Library originated) but with the erection of the City Hall in 1896, the library was forced to move a short distance to its current premises, purchasing the former linen warehouse of Moore and Weinberg, at a cost of £7,000 in 1890 (Killen). Constructed to the designs of Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon in 1864, the Dublin Builder commented that the original building was “… somewhat striking, and eminently suggestive of commercial respectability…The admirable ornamented and structural details are well worth study. (It) suffers under certain disadvantages arising from the awkward crooked site, but is nevertheless a substantial looking, respectable building.” (Dublin Builder) The building interior was converted in 1891 by James Wilson engineer, and Campbell and Dixon, builders, to the designs of Young and MacKenzie (DIA). Opened on 28th January 1892, the library was accessed through a grand, balustraded central doorway and a stone staircase led to the main floor, which provided a variety of rooms for; reading, conversation, tea and coffee and a ladies cloakroom (Killen). On this floor, the upper sections of the windows were decorated with stained glass panels depicting famous writers and scientists (Patton). Since taking up residency of the building the Library leased out two ground floor units at No.16 and No.18, flanking each side of the main entrance to the Library. When constructed, the ground floor of the building echoed the floors above; punctuated with scrabo sandstone window dressings and faced in scotch-fire brick. However, by 1903 the two frontages had become largely glazed with fascia boards and a tall piece of curved glass to the corner of No.18, on the junction with Fountain Street (HB File; NLI). The unit at No.16 was listed at £70 in the Annual Revaluations (1880-96) and leased out to the Scottish Provident Institution as office space. No.18 was first occupied by a Charles Bell and combined with additional offices on the floors above; the total value amounted to £180 in the Annual Revisions (1880-96). In 1900 accommodation increased as the library took over the second floor and the interior was redesigned to accommodate the growing collections. During the 1920s extensive structural work was carried out and some premises to the rear of the building were utilised by the library. The building was undamaged during the air raids of 1942 and membership numbers reached a peak in1945 as a result of the slow development of the public library service in Ireland (Linen Hall Library). During the late 20th century the fabric of the building rapidly deteriorated. Attendance numbers fell into a sharp decline, which almost resulted in closure. Young and MacKenzie oversaw major refurbishment and repair work in 1982-4 but the building suffered fire damage in December 1993 (Killen). Upper floor premises at 48-50 Fountain Street were purchased in the mid 1990s and a large modern extension was constructed to the rear at a cost of £3.5 million, which provided additional storage space, reading and meeting rooms (HB File). Throughout the 20th century both of the ground floor units (No.16 and No.18) were leased as offices or commercial premises, during which each has been refurbished a number of times (Street Directories). The units continue to be leased by the library; No.16 is now occupied by a cosmetics company and No.18 with a bank. In recent years each has undergone modernisation works; both have a predominantly glazed frontage and No.18 is clad in stone on the Fountain Street façade (HB File). The Linen Hall Library is now Ireland’s only subscription library and also functions as an arts and cultural venue. It contains many rare collections of both historic and literary significance and despite numerous alterations the building has changed very little in terms of character (Bardon). "No institution in Northern Ireland has done more to promote enlightenment and represent a better future for all our citizens" - Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney (Linen Hall Library) References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2- First Edition OS Map (1832-33) 2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3- Second Edition OS Map (1858) 3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4- Third Edition OS Map (1901-2) 4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6- Fourth Edition OS Map (1931) 5. PRONI T1541/2 – Map of Belfast (1879) 6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/D/1- Annual Revisions (1862-82) 7. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/D/11- Annual Revisions (1880-96) 8. PRONI VAL/7/B/9/46 – Belfast Revaluations (1900-02) 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/35 - Annual Revisions (1906-15) 10. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/14- First General Revaluation (1935) 11. The Ulster Street Directories (1841-1995) 12. HB File (HB26/50/013) 13. (NLI) National Library of Ireland, L_CAB_01245 “Donegall Square, Belfast” The Lawrence Photograph Collection (1865-1914) http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000339014 Secondary Sources 1. Killen, John “A History of Linen Hall Library 1788-1988” Linen Hall Library, Belfast (1990) 2. Dublin Builder no. 118, 15th November (1864) in: Killen, John “A History of Linen Hall Library 1788-1988” Linen Hall Library, Belfast (1990) 3. Larmour, P “Belfast, An Illustrated Architectural Guide” 1987 4. Brett, C.E.B “ The Buildings of Belfast 1700-1914” 1985 ed 5. Patton, Marcus “Central Belfast- An Historical Gazetteer” UAHS, Belfast (1993) 6. Bardon, Jonathan “Belfast- A Century” Blackstaff Press, Belfast (1999) 7. www.dia.ie - Dictionary of Irish Architects online 8. Hall, Black, Douglas “Linen Hall Library Extension” http://www.hallblackdouglas.co.uk/template2.asp?pid=143 9. Linen Hall Library “Linen Hall Library- History” (n.d) http://www.linenhall.com/history.asp

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A corner-sited three-storey former linen warehouse originally constructed 1864 to designs by Lanyon Lynn & Lanyon on the N side of Donegall Square, converted to designs by Young and MacKenzie in 1891 to house the Linen Hall Library for the Belfast Society for Promoting Knowledge on the loss of their former premises in the White Linen Hall, which once stood opposite. The building is a good example of a linen warehouse, albeit now in a different use. Externally quite plain it is set off by the detail around the entrance. Internally, the two main staircases are finely detailed and many of the bookcases and other fittings contribute to its character. Much historic fabric and detail survives and it is a fine example, by architects of note, of 19th century mercantile development around the City centre. Also of interest is the conversion from warehouse to library, again an example of the work of architects of note. The Library is one of the 19th and early 20th century buildings around Donegall Square that now form the civic setting of the City Hall(HB26/50/001A).

General Comments

Formerly HB26/50/013A-C

Date of Survey

10 August 2012