Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/50/292 C

Address :
11 Chichester Street Belfast Co Antrim BT1 4JA

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
27/11/1975 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Shop

Former Use
House

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:
J3397 7408

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Owner Category

Commercial

Exterior Description And Setting

Terraced four-storey brick Georgian former townhouse, built c.1804, as one of three (HB26/50/281A & B). Located on the south side of Chichester Street with the ground floor dropped to street level and symmetrical timber shopfront inserted, c.1980. Upper floors accessed via staircase to adjoining building No.13, opening onto the first half-landing. Pitched slate roof hidden behind rendered blocking course and cornice. Rendered chimneystack to the west party wall. Dark redbrick walling laid in Flemish bond to front and rear elevations. Diminishing square-headed window openings formed in gauged brick with rendered reveals, painted masonry sills and original multi-pane timber sash windows without horns. Front elevation is three windows wide with the former basement subsumed into the commercial ground floor unit. Original timber sash windows throughout, 3/6 to third floor, 6/6 to second and first floors. Former ground floor window and door openings visible as gauged brick arches behind shopfront. Symmetrical timber shopfront comprises multi-pane double-leaf doors flanking a central multi-pane glazed door, all framed by slender panelled pilasters to a full-span timber fascia with lead-lined cornice. East side elevation abutted by adjoining building No.13. Rear elevation is two windows wide and abutted by a single-storey rendered structure forming part of the ground floor commercial unit. Largely replacement 6/6 timber sash windows to the rear elevation. West side elevation abutted by adjoining building No.9 (HB26/50/281B). Setting Located on the south side of Chichester Street forming a uniform terrace of three similar buildings with a small enclosed yard to the rear fronting onto Pattersons Place. Roof Slate RWG Cast-iron Walling brick Windows Timber

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

No.11 Chichester Street, which formed part of a larger residential terrace (including HB26/50/281 A +B), was built as a private residence in 1804, to the designs of an unknown architect. The terrace is first shown on a map of Belfast Town c1818, on a previously undeveloped site (map c.1791), close to the White Linen Hall building (which was located where the City Hall now stands (HB26/50/001A). In the Townland Valuation (1830s) the house, offices and yard of No. 11 were listed at £34 and occupied by Richard Barnett. During the mid 19th century the building was occupied by Samuel Vance, a merchant who became the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce (Street Directories). Griffith’s Valuation (1859-60) indicates that during this time Mr. Edward McDowall owned the whole terrace and this building was valued at £55, comprising; two parlours, two dinning rooms, six bedrooms, two basements, a scullery, pantries, W.C, stable and yard. In the latter half of the 19th century the building was subdivided and each unit let to separate occupiers (Street Directories). In 1887 for example, the ground floor was the premises of W.J Jury’s Whiskey business; Jury notably owned the Imperial Hotel in Donegall Place (Patton). At this time the other floors were let to A. Stannus, an artist, William Fennell, an architect and George Armstrong, a pensioner. The Annual Revisions (1863-81) listed the combined value of the premises at £93. By the turn of the century, Charles H. Brett (of the Solicitors firm L’Estrange & Brett in No.9 HB26/50/017 B) had purchased the building and the Belfast Revaluations (1900) listed a total value of £122 10s for the premises. This figure significantly increased to £320 10s by 1911 (Annual Revisions 1906-15), primarily due to expansion into the neighbouring 3-storey corner unit and the creation of commercial space in the ground floor units. In the early 20th century this included the shop, office and garage of Chambers Motors, which also encompassed No.9 Patterson Place to the rear of the terrace. The First General Revaluation (1935) saw the value increase again to £597 10s. Throughout the 20th century the building was occupied by a variety of office-based businesses on the upper floors, while the ground floor units were used as both offices and as commercial premises (Street Directories). As a result, the ground floor of No.11 had been modified for these purposes. In the late 20th century all of the terraces were badly damaged by two explosions in the alley to the rear. This caused severe damage to the rear elements of the buildings but they were rebuilt and the frontages where subsequently restored in the following years (Brett). A new shop front was also installed in No.11, by Robert McKinstry c1979, but this was replaced in 1998 and is now occupied by a café (HB File). This surviving section of what had been a larger Georgian terrace is built in the typical ‘Dublin-style’, which was characteristic of that period (Larmour). References: Primary Sources 1.PRONI OS/6/1/61/1- First Edition OS Map (1829-35) 2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2- Fist Edition OS Map (1832-33) 3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3- Second Edition OS Map (1858) 4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4- Third Edition OS Map (1901-2) 5. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6- Fourth Edition OS Map (1931) 6. PRONI T1541/4 1791- Map of Belfast 7. PRONI T1541/5- Map of Belfast (1818) 8. PRONI T1541/1 – Map of Belfast Reduced from the 60’ Survey and updated (1864) 7. PRONI VAL/1/B/720- Townland Valuations (1830s) 8. PRONI VAL/2/B/7/1A- Griffith’s Valuation (1859-60) 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/A1- Annual Revisions (1862-82) 10. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C35- Annual Revisions (1906-15) 11. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/14- First General Revaluation (1935) 12. The Ulster Street Directories (1805-1998) 13. HB File (HB26/50/017 B) Secondary Sources 1. Larmour, P “Belfast, An Illustrated Architectural Guide” 1987 2. Brett, C.E.B “The Buildings of Belfast 1700-1914” 1985 ed 3. Patton, Marcus “Central Belfast- An Historical Gazetteer” UAHS, Belfast (1993) 4. www.dia.ie - Dictionary of Irish Architects online

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Terraced four-storey over part raised basement brick Georgian former townhouse, built c.1805, as one of three (HB26/50/292A-C). Located on the south side of Chichester Street with railed basement area and with a shopfront inserted to the ground floor. Severely damaged by a bomb in 1972, the former townhouse has undergone extensive restoration together with No 7. Much historic fabric and detailing survive, together with the original plan form. The terrace constitutes a rare example of late Georgian domestic architecture in Belfast and forms an elegant composition among largely late Victorian commercial buildings. It is also of note along with the remaining fragments of the Georgian city in Wellington Place.

General Comments

Renumbered as part of a terrace. Formerly HB26/50/017

Date of Survey

19 August 2012