The Frisby Jarvis Building

718/0/10189 FROG ISLAND 15-APR-03 (East side) 33-45 The Frisby Jarvis Building

II

Former worsted spinning mill. 1867, with office block extension of 1881. Both parts for William Thompson and Sons by the Leicester architects Shenton and Baker. Red brick with moulded and cut brick dressings, also blue brick, coloured tile and stone dressings. Slate hipped roofs and side stacks. Italianate palazzo style with prominent and elaborately bracketed cornice. 4 storeys. 21-window range at 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors of metal framed windows: those to 1st floor are casements and have round-arched heads, those above have segmental arches; all have gauged brick heads with key blocks. Similar windows to ground floor have elaborate cast-iron grilles to lower part. A 3-window section to centre right breaks forward and has rusticated corner pilasters and tripartite central window on each floor. Altered opening to ground floor with original doorway with decorative lintel to left. This section is crowned by a pediment, which has a clock-face within it. To left of the main block is a 2-storey extension in similar style of 1881, with sash windows and a doorway with double-leafed doors. Lower spinning sheds to rear. This carefully detailed and monumental factory building was built for worsted spinning for the Leicester hosiery industry. It is a landmark in this part of Leicester and its side overlooks the River Soar. Pevnser, N., Buildings of England, Leicestershire and Rutland, 1984, p.240.