Survey Data
Reg No
50930272
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
House
In Use As
Office
Date
1805 - 1815
Coordinates
316403, 233121
Date Recorded
11/11/2015
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Terraced two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1810, with two-storey return to rear (west), with sanitary out-shoot. Now in use as offices. Pitched slate roof to east with irregular M-profile hipped slate roof to rear (west), concealed by brick parapet with granite coping. Shouldered rendered chimneystacks to party walls with lipped yellow clay pots. Parapet gutters with replacement cast-iron hopper and downpipe to north end. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond (refaced on upper floors), over ruled-and-lined rendered walling to basement beneath granite plinth course. Brown brick walling to rear (west) elevation. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, rendered reveals and masonry sills. Round-headed opening to second floor rear (west). Largely replacement six-over-six timber sliding sash windows with ogee horns, those to second floor without horns, three-over-three to third floor and eight-over-eight to basement without horns. Largely Wyatt-style windows to rear (west), possibly originals without horns, uPVC casements to third floor and return. Cast-iron guard rails to second floor window openings and balconettes to first floor. Round-headed door opening with brick voussoirs, moulded reveals and recessed doorcase comprising fluted frieze and moulded cornice carried on Ionic columns over plinth stops, plain fanlight and raised-and-field timber panelled door with brass furniture. Granite entrance platform with cast-iron boot scraper, approached by five granite steps flanked by iron railings with decorative cast-iron corner posts over granite plinth, enclosing basement to south-side. Coal-hole cover to pavement. Replacement concrete-block wall to west on Laverty Court.
Appraisal
This former townhouse forms part of a relatively intact imposing early-nineteenth century streetscape. Built by Joshua Dixon, a shoemaker, elected Sheriff of Dublin City in 1815, although he refused the honour. (Bryan, 2006) Almost all of the western side was completed between c. 1807-15. Laid out in 1791 by the surveyors J & P Roe, Fitzwilliam Square was the last of the city’s Georgian squares to be completed. Development was staggered, progressing slowly due to the French wars. Although largely homogenous in character and form, the subtle variations between terraces are indicative of the speculative nature of the square’s development.