No. 19 And Attached Railings

House, now divided into flats. Built circa 1786 with a mid-19th-century porch addition. The building is constructed of limestone ashlar to the front elevation and rubble to the rear, with a double-pile parapeted mansard roof hipped to the left at front and rear. The roof is covered with Welsh slate. There is a coped party wall with two ashlar chimney stacks to the right and one ashlar stack to the centre left of the front range.

The building sits at the angle of Portland Place, with its main facade facing north and a narrow return to the left facing the triangular green at the centre of Portland Place. A staircase occupies the centre of the front.

The main facade comprises three storeys, an attic storey, and a basement, arranged in a four-window range. The first floor features a six-over-six-sash window in a plain reveal to the left, paired with a similar sash on the return face to the left. The centre has a partially blind window serving the staircase with a six-pane-over-mid-19th-century-leaded-glazing sash below at half-landing level. Two further six-over-six-sashes in plain reveals are positioned to the right and far right. The second floor is similarly arranged with six-over-six-sashes in plain reveals to the left (paired with a matching sash on the return face), centre, right, and far right.

The ground floor, to the left, has a six-over-six-sash in a plain reveal paired with a similar sash on the return face to the left, sharing a continuous stone sill. Two further similar sashes with stone sills occupy the right and far right positions. At the centre, a mid-19th-century porch projects forward over a crossover. This porch has a six-panel door with flush beaded and fielded panels, topped by a round-headed overlight in a chamfered reveal with moulded impost and archivolt. A single pennant step and footscraper are attached to the reveal to the right. The porch is flanked by Tuscan pilasters with full entablature featuring a moulded cornice and blocking course, which continues to the left and right sides. Each side of the porch entrance has a round-headed window with moulded architrave and stone sill: the left has a plate-glass sash, whilst the right has a smaller window with fixed leaded lights.

The basement contains two pairs of six-over-six-sashes in plain reveals with continuous stone sills to the left and right of an infilled crossover. The left side has one further sash on the return face to the left, whilst the right side has one bottom left sash that is blind. Stone area steps, partly refaced in concrete, descend to the basement, fitted with a wrought-iron handrail.

The attic storey features one double and two single dormers with six-over-six-sashes. The single dormers on the return face to the left have horns. A band course runs above the ground floor, with weathered sill bands at first and second floor levels. The eaves are finished with a modillion cornice and a coped parapet that continues as a common element with No. 20 Portland Place.

The rear elevation displays three six-over-six-sashes to each of the ground, first, and second floors. The attic storey has one double and one single dormer: the double dormer has a plate-glass sash, whilst the single dormer has three-over-three-sashes.

The property is accompanied by attached wrought-iron railings and a gate with urn tops mounted on limestone bases.

Historically, this was the residence of Captain Matthews from circa 1770 to 1820. He was famously involved in a duel with Richard Brinsley Sheridan in 1772, fought over Elizabeth Linley (see entry for No. 1 Pierrepont Place).