Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/27/032 H

Address :
18 College Green Belfast BT7 1LN

Townland:
Malone Lower

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
27/09/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Office - Terrace

Former Use
House - Terrace

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
147/1

IG Ref:
J3380 7277

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Three storey red brick asymmetrical terraced house, built 1866-1878 (CHECK HISTORY) and facing south on College Green, NE of the main quad at Queens University, Belfast. Group value with adjoining No. 20 & 22 College Green (HB26 27 032I & J respectively); the three houses form part of a longer Victorian terrace incorporating No.2 – 26 inclusive, which overlooks the Theological College of the Presbyterian Church (HB26 27 004) in Queens Conservation Area, Belfast. Now used as Queen’s University’s School of Social Science, Education and Social Work (formerly School of Life Long Learning), encompassing No.12 -24 (No.16 is missing), the former houses are connected internally with two-storey gabled extensions added c.2004, in place of original returns. Natural slate duo-pitched roof with black clay ridge tiles and two red brick chimneys, both rectangular on plan, centred on ridge with corbelled brick copings and several octagonal yellow clay pots; one shared with No.14 and the other shared with No.20 College Gardens. MATERIALS ROOF: Natural slate. Leaded roof to 1-storey canted bay. RWGS: Cast metal (replacement): ogee gutter (S), half round gutter (N) & circular RWPs. WALLS: Red brick in Flemish bond (S) with painted masonry dressings Red brick in English Garden Wall bond (N), largely rebuilt WINDOWS: Single glazed timber framed sliding sash with 1/1 panes, unless otherwise described. South Elevation The south elevation is the principal façade. Asymmetrical, with entrance to left (W) and single-storey canted bay to right at ground floor; two segmental arched windows at both first and second floors, diminishing in height. Entire ground floor is rendered (smooth) and painted, terminating in square-edged string course that runs between first floor cills. Deep plinth to ground floor with moulded top, painted in contrasting colour. Timber framed four-panelled (replacement) entrance door with plain glass segmental arched over-light set within projecting door case. Stop-chamfered head and jamb reveals to all ground floor openings and to outer edge of door case. Cornice hood above door, embellished with waterleaf and dart moulding; this detail is partially lost due to several layers of paint. Windows at ground floor canted bay are replacement single glazed double-hung sliding sashes; all other windows as described above. Moulded surrounds to first floor windows topped by ornamental decoration. Second floor windows have same surround, with corbel brackets below projecting cill. Heavy overhanging eaves supported on corbelled yellow brick ‘specials’ alternating with three courses angled yellow brick; eaves terminated by corbelled stone kneeler with ‘club’ motif at gable (W) end. West and east elevations abutted by No.14 and No.20 College Green (HB26 27 032G & I respectively – No.16 is missing). Original return removed. North Elevation The rear elevation faces north and is almost entirely rebuilt following removal of original return c. 2004 when extension shared with No.20 was added. One full-height bay remains to right (W) side of extension, with a sliding sash window at each ground, first and second floor. Walling is mainly salvaged red brick in English Garden Wall bond with soldier-coursed headers to openings (on galvanised steel lintels) and single-course corbelled brick eaves in header bond. Based on Ordinance Survey maps, the original return abutted this rebuilt section and sliding sash windows at all three floors are replaced, albeit sympathetically, and fitted with Georgian-wired glass; cut stone cills, possibly salvaged from the original building appear to have been reused in these openings. Above gabled extension, to right side, a projecting brick nib corbels out at second floor, covered with lead flashing at eaves level – possibly remnant from original return or former chimney. To left of this corbelled brick is an additional sliding sash window. Set midway along College Green, which runs between Botanic Avenue (W) and Rugby Road (E). Concrete dwarf walling and modern metal railings line boundary to S, matching adjacent properties. Small front garden gravelled with large reconstituted stone paving slabs to graded front path. Rear yard bound by replacement red brick wall with brick-on-edge coping to match gabled extensions at adjoining properties. Yard provides shared amenity space for No12, 14 & 18 (No.16 missing) and comprises ramped paths to ground floor terrace and planted beds with red brick retaining walls topped by modern metal handrail and uprights, painted.

Architects

Historical Information

College Green was laid out in 1866 on what was then the semi-rural ‘Plains’ of Malone, the land east of the recently-established Queen’s College (completed 1849) and around and beyond the Union Theological College (completed 1853). The foundation of Queen’s prompted several decades of development in the vicinity, with regularly-planned streets filled with mainly High Victorian terraced housing for the professional and merchant classes moving southwards beyond the confines of a rapidly commercialising and industrialising centre of Belfast. The present nos.6-8 were the first to be built along the new thoroughfare in 1866, with nos.2-4, College Green House, (originally ‘Culfeightrin House’, rebuilt c.1882), and nos.24-26 next in 1870-71, 10-12 and 20-22 in 1876 and 14-18 in 1878. The street was originally conceived as part of Fitzroy Avenue (which stretches off eastwards beyond the intersection of what is now Rugby Road) and was considered as such for the first few decades of its existence, with the name ‘College Green’ applied only to Culfeightrin House and nos.2-8 on the 1871-73 OS map. No.18 No.18 dates from either 1876 or 78 (the valuation book is not entirely clear), and appears to have been built by the estate of the late Robert Corry, the Belfast timber merchant who had developed part of College Green in the mid-1860s, and previous to this in the 1840s and 1850s, Upper and Lower Crescent. The identity of the architect is uncertain. James Keay (or Keary) is recorded as the immediate lessor in 1876 (or 1878) with Samuel Ferguson named as the occupant in the 1880 street directory. By 1887 a Miss McKey was in residence, followed by William McCauley before 1890, W.S. McNaughten by 1892, Rev. S. McComb (of Elmwood NS Presbyterian Church) by 1895 and, by 1897, Miss Jane Dunne, who in the 1901 census was living with a domestic servant with the house itself noted as a ‘first class’ dwelling with 10 rooms in use. The property was unoccupied at the time of the 1911 census, with N.K. Taylor (a ‘buyer’) taking over the tenancy at some point prior to 1918 and remaining until c.1937. A Mrs. Millen is noted as the householder in 1943, Mrs. Campbell in 1955, R.J. Winters (‘accountant’) by 1960 and Mrs. Norah Winters by 1964. Sometime between this date and 1969 the property was acquired by Queen’s University and became offices for the ‘Faculty of Law and data processing’. In the later 1970s it became part of the QUB ‘Audio Resources Centre’ (already based in neighbouring no.14) The building was listed in 1979. Along with neighbouring nos.12, and 18-24 it was the subject of a major renovation by Queen’s in c.2004, with a large extension added to the rear and the interior integrated with that its neighbours, nos.12-14 and 20-24. It is now used as Queen’s University’s School of Social Science, Education and Social Work (formerly School of Life Long Learning). References – Primary sources 1 PRONI VAL12B/43/A/4, 14, 27, 42, 45 (1864-1930) 4 Belfast Street Directories (various dates, 1870-1996) 5 OS town plans of Belfast, 1871-73, 1884 8 Census of Ireland, 1901, 1911 [online - http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/] Secondary sources 1 Carleton, S.T., ‘The growth of South Belfast’ MA Thesis (QUB, 1967)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

R. Age X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Three-storey red-brick asymmetrical terraced house, built 1878 and facing south on College Green, NE of the main quad at Queens University, Belfast. Group value with adjoining No.20 and No.22 College Green (HB26 27 032I & J respectively), the three houses form part of a longer Victorian terrace, incorporating No.2 – 26 inclusive. Now used as Queen’s University’s School of Social Science, Education and Social Work, encompassing No.12 -24 (No.16 is missing), the former houses are connected internally with loss of original returns. A plainer example of a Victorian house, it has retained it's modest decorative façade, including plaster door and windows surrounds. It also retains some original decorative fixtures internally, although reconfiguration during 20th century has diminished the historic character to some extent. Nonetheless, the significance of this building lies primarily in its group value and in the integrity of the overall composition of College Green, which is amongst the most striking terraces in Queens Conservation Area.

General Comments

Date of Survey

24 August 2016