Greene House at the National Society for Epilepsy

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CHALFONT ST PETER CHESHAM LANE Greene House at the National Society for Epilepsy

II

House for male residents. Designed 1897, built 1899 to the designs of Maurice B Adams, Mr Darlington contractor, erected at the expense of Frederick Greene.

Brick with stone banding to ground floor and tile-hanging to first floor set partly within sweeping tiled roof, single-storey wings to sides and rear are part of the original plan.

Greene House is a good example of the distinctive planning found at the Chalfont Centre, with a central two-storey range containing communal living areas on the ground floor and staff accommodation above, with single-storey wings to either side that formerly housed dormitories, now bedsitting rooms, and a service range to the rear, since extended. Upper windows have leaded lights under a pair of rendered gables, other opening casements renewed; those to ground floor centre in round arches set either side engaged columns that frame a further arch this with moulded keystone - containing the part-glazed door. Former sash windows to side elevations replaced by modern casements. A plaque on a pilaster at the side commemorates Frederick Greene. Interiors not inspected as understood to be altered

The former Chalfont colony was founded in 1894 to give a normal, healthy village life to people with epilepsy. It pioneered the concept of a village community for patients with mental conditions, which was widely adopted, firstly for other epilepsy hospitals and in the inter-war period for institutions serving other mental conditions. Greene House is included as the most architectural and least altered of the villas at Chalfont Common, forming a strong group with Milton and Pearman Houses that perfectly demonstrates how the plan of the colony worked.

Source Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, unpublished report NBR no.100291.