Survey Data
Reg No
50100253
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
House
In Use As
Office
Date
1750 - 1760
Coordinates
316380, 233416
Date Recorded
29/07/2016
Date Updated
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Description
Attached three-bay four-storey house over basement, built c. 1755. Three pitched natural slate roofs aligned parallel to street, central pitch narrower, all hipped to north end. Two large brown brick chimneystacks with clay pots to south party wall, positioned centrally on two principal roofs, and concealed rainwater goods set behind reconstructed Flemish bond brown brick parapet wall with masonry coping. Flemish bond brown brick walling on granite plinth, with painted rendered walling to basement. Square-headed window openings, diminishing to upper floors, with painted rendered reveals, painted granite sills and timber sliding sash windows with horns, six-over-six pane to basement and second floor, nine-over-nine pane to first floor and three-over-three pane to top floor, with cast-iron grilles to basement openings. Painted pedimented doorcase with partly engaged Doric columns supporting open-bed pediment, moulded cornice, radial fanlight, ovolo-moulded architrave, and twelve-panel timber door with weatherboard and brass furniture, including door knocker, letterbox, knob and number. Door opens onto granite platform bridging basement, with three steps to street level. Basement area enclosed by wrought-iron railings with decorative cast-iron corner posts on moulded granite plinth wall. Interior has fluted marble fireplace and good neo-Classical ceiling of bay-leaf roundels and musical instruments to front first floor room.
Appraisal
No. 15 Upper Merrion Street is located south of the present Government Building quadrangle, in a short row of former Georgian houses now used as a single office building and entered through this house. It retains the well-balanced proportions and graded fenestration typical of the period and is enriched with a fine pedimented doorcase. The interior has a well-preserved neo-Classical ceiling of bay-leaf roundels and musical instruments to the front first floor room. It is taller than its neighbours to each side and set forward of that to the north. Its pedimented doorcase contrasts with the more modest round-headed examples to each of its neighbours, thus enabling it to stand out from this interesting short row. Its railings and steps contribute to the historic streetscape.