Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/12/002 A

Address :
Lismachan House 378 Belmont Road Belfast County Antrim

Townland:
Ballymaghan

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
21/05/1980 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
130-12

IG Ref:
J3923 7540

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey stucco-fronted Italianate former house, built c.1870, with central three-storey entrance tower. Irregular on plan facing south with single-storey annex to the southeast and two-storey wing to the northeast with internal yard to the east. Located on a large mature site to the east of Glenmachan Road and to the north of Belmont Road accessed via winding bitmac avenue opening onto Glenmachan Road with former gate lodge (HB26/12/002B). Hipped natural slate roofs with rolled lead ridges and several tall rendered profiled chimneystacks with corbelled caps (chimney pots removed). Roofs set behind deep moulded corbelled cornices with painted iron downpipes breaking through. Textured cement covered stucco walling with moulded plinth course, some channel rustication and rusticated rendered quoins. Camber-headed window openings with kneed architrave surrounds to the first floor, round-headed window openings with moulded archivolts rising from pilasters and continuous sill course with apron panels to the ground floor, diamond-faced keystones and single-pane timber sash windows with slender ogee horns on continuous sill courses throughout. Symmetrical three-bay south front elevation with central three-storey square-plan entrance tower, secondary single-storey square-plan entrance porch to the right, single-bay single-storey connecting wing and single-storey single-bay annexe to the east. The entrance tower has balustraded parapet wall with corner piers and paired window openings to the second floor with blind balustrade framed by paired pilasters. Single window opening to the first floor with kneed architrave surrounds and corbelled cornice. Round-headed principal entrance to the ground floor with deep archivolt moulding and diamond-faced keystone rising from impost mouldings. Original diamond-panelled timber door with brass furniture and plain fanlight opening onto concrete platform and four nosed steps enclosed by low plinth walls. Ground floor windows arranged in pairs rising from pilasters set on stepped sill course with apron panels. Secondary entrance porch with round-headed window and door openings having archivolt mouldings with continuous impost mouldings. Original diamond-faced 6-panel timber door with plain fanlight opening onto concrete platform enclosed by decorative iron railing on plinth wall with two nosed steps. The southeast annexe has a central breakfront with four slender round-headed window openings having archivolt mouldings and diamond-keystones rising from continuous impost mouldings and colonettes on continuous sill course. Symmetrical three-bay west garden elevation has two full-height three-sided canted bay windows with 2/2 timber sash windows to the first floor and paired window opening to the centre. North rear elevation is five windows wide with a central single-storey square-plan entrance porch and paired windows to either end. The entrance porch has an iron balustrade with French doors to the left cheek opening onto timber steps. The northeast return has square-headed window openings with 2/2 timber sash windows. East side elevation abutted by two returns with a central courtyard. Setting: Located on a large mature site to the east of Glenmachan Road and to the north of Belmont Road with extensive lawns, pool with large single- storey timber-clad pavilion and veranda. Pavilion early 20th century in appearance; rectilinear in plan with pitched natural slate roof sprocketed at eaves with decorative metalwork at ridge; supported on decorative cast iron posts; open at south end with painted boarded timber soffit; enclosed at north end with painted timber panelling and half height round-headed glazing panels. Two bitmac avenues, one avenue runs along the east of the site opening onto Belmont Road with the other avenue winding through the gardens opening onto Glenmachan Road to the southeast passing the original gate lodge and opening onto the road via replacement brick piers. Site bound by replacement red brick walls to both roads. Roof: Natural slate RWG: Painted iron Walling: Textured cement over stucco Windows: Timber sash

Architects

Jackson, Thomas

Historical Information

Lismachan House, a two-storey Italianate mansion in the townland of Ballymaghan, was constructed in 1869-70. The house was originally built for James Shaw, a local landlord, but was acquired by Thomas Malcomson Greeves, a flax manufacturer, in 1872. Along with his brother John, Greeves established the flax spinning firm J. & T. M. Greeves Ltd. and set up a large spinning mill off the Falls Road in 1862 (UTD; Rankin, p. xvii; p. 200). The Irish Builder records that Lismachan House was constructed in 1869-70 to designs by Thomas Jackson and originally consisted of four sitting rooms and eight bedrooms. Lismachan is one of a number of mansions the eminent local architect designed for the Sydenham area. The Dictionary of Irish Architects describes Jackson (1807-1890) as primarily a domestic architect ‘although he turned his hand to buildings of every type, commercial, industrial, educational and ecclesiastical.’ Prior to undertaking work in Sydenham, Jackson had been responsible for a suburban development scheme in North Belfast from the 1830s. Jackson took inspiration (and the name - Cliftonville) for the new North Belfast suburb from the development of Bristol’s Clifton Suburb where he had received training. Having established his reputation as one of the leading domestic architects in the city, and with the industrialisation of Belfast, from the 1860s Jackson became the preferred architect of the merchant elite. Between the 1860s and 1870s Jackson designed a number of suburban villas and mansions in East Belfast that included Craigavon (HB26/12/025), Glenmachan House, Glenmachan Tower (HB26/12/005) and Lismachan House (Irish Builder, p. 6; Brett, p. 45; Dixon, p. 29; DIA). The Annual Revisions note that Lismachan House was originally valued at £190 although this was raised to £218 following the construction of the gate lodge in 1872 (HB26/12/002B). The Belfast Revaluation (1900) notes that Lismachan was erected at an estimated cost of £4,998. Thomas M. Greeves did not inhabit Lismachan House himself (Thomas Greeves resided at Tweskard House on the opposite side of the Belmont Road) but leased the property to his brother John Greeves who continued to reside there until his death in 1917. Under the Belfast Revaluation of 1900 the value of Lismachan House was raised to £250. The 1911 census described Lismachan House as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 22 rooms and possessed two stables and a cow house amongst its out offices. The third edition Ordnance Survey map (1902) for the area depicts Lismachan House along its current rectangular-shaped layout suggesting that few major structural changes have been made to the mansion during the last century. Following the death of John Greeves, his daughter Lillian took over Lismachan House in 1917. Lillian Greeves continued to reside at Lismachan until her own death in 1963 (PRONI Wills). The value of the mansion was raised to £219 under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935) but was subsequently lowered to £100 under the Second Revaluation (1956-72). Lismachan House continued to be occupied by a member of the Greeves family until at least the 1970s. Lismachan House was listed in 1980. The NIEA HB Records note that the interior of the villa has been remodelled into six self-contained flats with modern fittings and features installed throughout. Despite this change in use the exterior of Lismachan retains its original late-Victorian character. In recent years a number of renovation works have been carried out on site. In 2002 the roof of the building was repaired and in 2013 the chimney stack was entirely rebuilt (NIEA HB Records). References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/3/5/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1858) 2. PRONI OS/6/3/5/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1902) 3. PRONI OS/6/3/5/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1919-20) 4. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/2B-2H - Annual Revisions (1867-1897) 5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/N/1-9 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930) 6. PRONI VAL/7/B/13/20 – Belfast Revaluation (1900) 7. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/20 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935) 8. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/46 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72) 9. Irish Builder (1 Jan 1870) 10. Belfast Street Directories (1860-1943) 11. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911) 12. PRONI Wills Catalogue (11 Apr 1917; 18 Jul 1963) 13. First Survey Record – HB26/12/002 (1978) 14. First Survey Image – HB26/12/002 (No Date) 15. NIEA HB Records – HB26/12/002 Secondary Sources 1. ‘Lismachan House Condition Report’ Belfast: Alastair Coey Architects, 2007. 2. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of Belfast: 1700-1914’ Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1985. 3. Dean, J. A. K., ‘The gate lodges of Ulster: A gazetteer’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1994. 4. Dixon, H., ‘Honouring Thomas Jackson’ Belfast: Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society, 1970 77. 5. Haines, F., ‘East Belfast: Paintings and stories from harbour to hills’ Donaghadee: Cottage Publications, 2001. 6. Rankin, K., ‘Linen houses of the Lagan Valley and their families’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 2002. Online Resources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

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

S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance V. Authorship X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey stucco-fronted Italianate former house, built c.1870 to designs of the renowned architect, Thomas Jackson. A well proportioned and detailed 19th century villa with an impressive central three-storey entrance tower. Although the house is now divided into apartments the building retains its external appearance and is situated in its original mature landscape setting with garden structures, avenue approach and original Italianate gate lodge intact to the south (HB26.12.002B). It forms part of a wider collection of former gentleman's residences by architect Thomas Jackson in the Belmont/Sydenham area including Craigavon House (HB26/12/025) and Glenmachan House (HB26/12/005) and with its historical connections to the Belfast flax industrialists, J. & T. M. Greeves, is of significant interest to the area.

General Comments

This record has been re-numbered, previously HB26/12/002.

Date of Survey

18 September 2014