Survey Data
Reg No
50930108
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
House
In Use As
Office
Date
1815 - 1825
Coordinates
316627, 233107
Date Recorded
25/09/2015
Date Updated
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Description
Attached two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1820, with two-storey return to rear (east). Now in use as offices. Pitched roof to west, irregular M-profiled hipped roofs to rear (east) span, concealed by refaced brick parapet with masonry coping over. Brick chimneystacks to north party wall with lipped yellow clay pots. Parapet gutters. Brown brick walling laid in Flemish bond, rebuilt on third floor, rendered walling to basement beneath granite plinth course. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, rendered reveals and largely cast-concrete sills; granite surrounds to basement opening. Largely replacement six-over-six timber sliding sash windows, having ogee horns to ground and first floor, three-over-three to third floor with convex horns and eight-over-eight to basement. Bowed cast-iron balconettes to first floor openings and cast-iron grille to basement opening. Round-headed door opening with brick voussoirs, moulded reveals and recessed surround containing fluted frieze and moulded cornice carried on Ionic columns over plinth stops, spoked fanlight and raised-and-field timber panelled door with replacement brass furniture. Granite entrance platform, with cast-iron boot scraper, approached by three granite steps flanked by iron railings with decorative cast-iron corner posts on granite plinth, enclosing basement to north-side. Coal-hole cover to pavement. Street fronted on eastern side of Fitzwilliam Street Upper. Two-storey mews building to rear (east). Segmental-headed carriage to east boundary on Lad Lane, with timber sheeted doors, flanked by brown brick piers with granite coping over, abutted by rubble stone wall pierced by square-headed pedestrian opening with brick surrounds and timber sheeted door.
Appraisal
Built as a pair with the adjoining building to north (50930107), this former townhouse retains its traditional form and proportions, mellow brick which contrasts with the granite dressings, well executed ironwork, and handsome Ionic doorcase. The development of Fitzwilliam Street Upper began on the north-end of the western side during the early-nineteenth century. Taken as a whole with Fitzwilliam Street Upper and the east-side of the Merrion Square, this uninterrupted stretch constitutes the longest piece of Georgian streetscape in Dublin. Although largely homogenous in character and form, the subtle variations between the houses are indicative of the speculative nature of development.