Survey Data
Reg No
50060278
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Original Use
House
Historical Use
Nursing/convalescence home
In Use As
Hospital/infirmary
Date
1785 - 1805
Coordinates
315364, 235672
Date Recorded
06/09/2014
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c.1795, having single-bay two-storey addition with integral carriage arch, attached to east, linking with neighbouring building to east; formerly used as nursing home and now in use as clinic. Single-span pitched artificial slate roof. Cement rendered and brick chimneystacks with yellow clay pots. Rendered walls to upper floors with rendered string courses over channelled rendered walls to ground floor and granite plinth course over rendered walls to basement. Rendered quoins to east and west ends. Square-headed window openings with rendered reveals, granite sills and replacement timber casement windows, ground floor having channelled rendered surrounds and first floor having lugged and kneed rendered surrounds and keystones. Segmental-headed carriage arch with rendered voussoirs, parapet and having round-headed window opening with lugged and kneed rendered surround and keystone, granite sill and multiple-pane original timber window with stained glass to margins. Round-headed door opening with six-panelled timber door, flanked by rendered reveals, engaged Ionic columns on block bases supporting fluted frieze and cornice with cobweb fanlight over and channelled rendered surround. Limestone platform with cast-iron boot-scraper, and limestone steps. Wrought-iron railings on moulded granite plinth to basement area. Cast-iron coal-hole cover in granite slab to pavement. Part of coherent terrace with that abutting to east, forming part of Mater Hospital complex.
Appraisal
The development of Eccles Street commenced in the late eighteenth century under the auspices of Luke Gardiner. The proposed development was to include a number of streets leading from Dorset Street to the 'Royal Circus'. While the Royal Circus was never realised, due a downturn in the finances of the Gardiner family, Eccles Street was fully developed with eighty Georgian townhouses. No.38 dates to the late eighteenth century and is classically restrained, ornamented only by the grand Ionic doorcase. This house and others on Eccles Street were purchased by the Mater Hospital in the late nineteenth century and formerly function as a nursing home. Well-proportioned and displaying restrained, fine detailing, the ensemble is further complemented by the Mater Hospital buildings to the west on Eccles Street.