Survey Data
Reg No
50010789
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
House
In Use As
Office
Date
1795 - 1805
Coordinates
316067, 235615
Date Recorded
07/10/2011
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Terraced three-bay four-storey house over raised basement, built c.1800, with full-height bowed rear elevation and three-storey flat-roofed rear return. Currently in use as offices to lower floors and residential to upper floors. Pitched slate roof on T-plan hidden behind rebuilt parapet wall with granite coping. Stepped brick chimneystacks to both party walls with clay pots. Red brick walls laid in Flemish bond, rebuilt in machine-made red brick to top two floors, set on moulded plinth course over painted render walls to basement level. Yellow brick walls to rear elevation with cement render to return. Gauged brick flat-arched window openings with painted granite sills, brick reveals and correctly specified early replacement timber sliding sash windows throughout, six-over-six pane to lower floors and three-over-three pane to top floor. Decorative wrought-iron balconettes to first floor windows. Gauged brick round-headed door opening with painted masonry tripartite Ionic doorcase, with replacement timber door flanked by engaged Ionic columns on plinth blocks, re-glazed sidelights and responding Ionic pilasters all supporting fluted and stepped lintel cornice with original cobweb leaded fanlight. Door opens onto granite platform and six granite steps bridging basement area. Platform enclosed by original wrought-iron railings returning to enclose basement and set on painted moulded granite plinth wall to street. Rear site enclosed by concrete block wall and timber gates.
Appraisal
This house forms part of a terrace of nine buildings, which abuts Nos. 18 and 19 Mountjoy Square East, thus continuing the grand scale and detailing of the square. It also terminates the terrace of large-scaled houses, before the drop in scale, to the north end of Belvedere Place and thus forms an intrinsic part of the overall north Dublin City Georgian townscape. Named after the Earl of Belvedere, Belvedere Place was one of eight planned streets connecting Mountjoy Square with major thoroughfares. Generally retaining its original external fabric, it is significant in being the only house on the terrace to have a bowed rear elevation. The retention of timber sash windows greatly enhances the architectural heritage character of this house. the ornamental balconettes to the first floor, and the particularly elaborate doorcase with sidelights and an elaborate fanlight makes this one of the most elegant houses in the district. The stone landing and flight of steps to the entrance, coupled with the plinth and railings to the basement area, provide typical and appropriate setting to the street edge.