Survey Data

Reg No

50920138


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Artistic


Original Use

House


In Use As

Office


Date

1750 - 1770


Coordinates

315806, 233406


Date Recorded

13/08/2015


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Attached two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1760, as one of a pair (with No. 119, 50920137), having railed basement well and full-height two-bay rear return. Now in use as offices. L-plan natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles, hipped to north-east corner and set behind red brick parapet wall with granite coping. Large shouldered rendered brown brick chimneystack with lipped clay pots to party wall. Plastic and cast-iron rainwater goods to north and rear (west) elevations. Original red brick walls laid in Flemish bond with deep moulded limestone ashlar cornice (below attic-storey) and continuous masonry platband over ground floor. Blind bay shared with pair, articulated as carved limestone panel with swag to attic-storey, circular concave limestone niche with console bracket to base at second floor level and round-headed blind niche rising from first floor platband comprising engaged Ionic columns supporting stepped impost moulding and archivolt moulding with scrolled console bracket to base. Ruled-and-lined cement rendered side and rear elevations. Gauged brick square-headed window openings with patent rendered reveals, granite sills and replacement timber sash windows; three-over-three to attic, six-over-three to second floor and six-over-three to basement. Ground and first floor window openings framed by pair of scrolled limestone console brackets supporting cornice with replacement six-over-nine timber sash to first floor with wrought-iron balconettes and six-over-six to ground floor. Some possible nineteenth-century timber sash windows to north elevation including two round-headed two-over-two with margin lights to lower two levels. Replacement multi-pane timber sash windows to rear elevation with recent steel balconettes. Robust granite ashlar aediculated doorcase comprising; stepped granite jambs, stepped limestone lintel cornice, replacement leaded fanlight with rusticated and voussoired granite surround topped by lead-lined hood cornice supported by scrolled console brackets. Original timber door with eight raised-and-fielded panels. Door opens onto original granite paved platform and three nosed granite steps with two cast-iron bootscrapers and two recent steel lamps. Platform and basement well enclosed by decorative cast-iron railings on granite plinth wall. Street-fronted on Saint Stephen's Geeen on corner with Proud's Lane.

Appraisal

Although now attached, this building was built as a semi-detached pair of mid-eighteenth century townhouses as a unified design by Richard Castle. Such unified façades are rare in Dublin, particularly before the establishment of the Wide Street Commissioners. The insertion of the shopfront and the dropping of the sill level of the first floor windows detracts from the original effect of the unified pair. The façade exhibits a wide palette of stone detailing, which attests to the skills of the architect and stonemason, and to the prestige of the eventual occupants. Further significance is afforded, as the pair are the last remaining examples of domestic architecture on this side of Saint Stephen's Green.