Muller House Muller Homes (City of Bristol College)

Muller House, originally Muller Homes (City of Bristol College), is an orphanage constructed in 1862 by John Foster and Son of Bristol, for George Muller. The building is of coursed Pennant stone rubble with Bath stone window frames and has slate hipped and gable-ended roofs, featuring bracketed verges. Stone axial stacks with cornices are present. The design incorporates a large central entrance block flanked by wings, with cross-wings at the ends, and workshop ranges to the rear.

The building is arranged over three storeys. The central block has 3 bays, with projecting gabled outer bays. A Tuscan tetrastyle stone portico with paired square columns is located centrally, with the central section breaking forward and featuring round columns. Left and right wings each feature 5 bays, with end cross-wings, and 2-storey, 8-bay outer wings. The windows are 12-pane sashes set within plain stone architraves. The rear features single-storey workshop ranges with similar sash windows.

Inside, an open-well staircase has a cast-iron balustrade with a mahogany handrail and cast-iron scrolls supporting stone treads, and arched stairwell windows.

Muller House was the third of five large, barrack-style orphanage buildings constructed between 1847 and 1870 by the Prussian-born pastor and philanthropist George Muller. Muller used this building as his headquarters and home. The orphanage was funded entirely by voluntary contributions.