Abtech House

LEEDS

SE2933NE PARK ROW 714-1/75/294 (East side) 05/08/76 No.18 Abtech House (Formerly Listed as: PARK ROW (East side) No.18)

GV II

Offices. Late C19, altered C20. By Edward J Dodgshun. Ashlar and carved stone, rebuilt slate roof. 4 storeys and added attic, 4 bays. Ground floor: facade possibly refronted with geometric relief pattern; projecting entrances left and right, deep frieze above has finely-carved figures in deep relief including central seated female figure with globe and staff of Mercury flanked by colonial trading scenes; projections over the end doorways have cartouches with shield and motto, flanked by draped figures; egg-and-dart moulding over. 1st-floor windows have cartouches between, with carvings of dove with olive branch, owls and cross, sailing ship and Agnus Dei; dentilled string above. 2nd- and 3rd-floor fluted Corinthian pilasters with heavy modillion cornice above. End stacks. INTERIOR: not inspected. HISTORICAL NOTE: in 1881 No.18 Park Row was the premises of the North of England Mercantile Agency, Peyton and Co were the agents and accountants; Daniel Dodgson, architect, RC Thackwray, portmanteau manufacturer and M Cranswick, solicitor also used the building. EJ Dodgshun was the designer of the West Riding Union Bank in Park Row (not included), built c1900 (Linstrum p.376) and Directories show that by 1905 the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank (formerly the West Riding Union Banking Company) used the premises together with FJ Sharr, architect and engineer and Oliver and Dodgshun, architects and surveyors. (Directories of Leeds, 1881 and 1905-6; Linstrum, D: West Yorkshire Architects and Architecture: 1978-).

Listing NGR: SE2995033709