50 Duke Street, including 2 and 4 York Street and 27 Henry Street

50 Duke Street, including 2 and 4 York Street and 27 Henry Street

Former dwelling with associated warehousing, later converted to commercial use. The building was empty at the time of inspection in September 2003.

Dating from the late 18th century with later 19th and 20th century alterations and additions, the complex is constructed in brick with channelled and plain stucco finishes, a coped gable to the Duke Street frontage, and concrete tile roof covering.

The building has an L-shaped plan, extending the full length of the plot between Duke Street and Henry Street.

Duke Street Elevation

The Duke Street elevation comprises 5 bays and 3 storeys on a sloping site. The ground floor features a deeply channelled stucco finish. A taller pedimented gable is located to the left, with a lower 3-bay range to the right. The right-hand section incorporates an altered doorway with a shallow open pediment set in an added doorcase placed in front of the original opening. Below this is a wide doorway with double 3-panel doors beneath an altered fanlight. To either side are 2 tall 6 over 6 pane sash windows. The heads and cills of the left-hand openings are set higher than those to the right-hand bays. Above the right-hand bays are matching tall first floor sash windows positioned below painted wedge lintels. The first floor windows to the left of the doorway are smaller 6 over 6 pane sashes, their heads still set above the level of those to the right. All 5 upper floor windows are set at the same level, comprising 3 over 3 pane sash frames. The right-hand 3 bays sit below a moulded eaves cornice. The openings below the pedimented gable have tripartite wedge lintels.

Henry Street and Subsidiary Elevations

The Henry Street elevation comprises 6 bays and 3 storeys, with detailing matching that of the pedimented gable and an altered doorway to the third bay. Further left, a single storey building links the former dwelling to a 3-bay, 3-storey building with window openings. These formerly had multi-pane sash frames on all three floors, though the ground floor openings are now blocked. All openings retain tripartite lintels. The south gable features a single opening to each floor, the ground floor opening being a wide double doorway.

Historical Context

The building complex is situated a short distance north-east of Steers Dock, on a street frontage known to have been developed by 1769. No. 50 Duke Street and its attached subsidiary buildings appear on Horwood's 1803 map of Liverpool and again on the large-scale Ordnance Survey map of 1848. Goad's Fire Insurance plan of 1888 identifies No. 27 Henry Street as a warehouse.

The complex comprises No. 50 Duke Street (incorporating No. 2 York Street) and the adjoining warehouse at No. 4 York Street (incorporating No. 27 Henry Street). It is of special architectural and historic interest as a rare surviving example of late 18th century merchant's housing with associated warehousing characteristic of the area surrounding Steers Dock. The complex serves as an indicator of the extent and nature of the historic urban landscape associated with the earliest phases of development of the internationally-significant port of Liverpool.