1 Stewart's Place, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 9DX

1 Stewart's Place, Holywood

A three-storey, two-bay house built around 1850, prominently positioned to the street in Stewart's Place. Although plainly detailed, it is a good and intact example of mid-nineteenth-century domestic architecture and forms part of a noteworthy pair with 3 Stewart's Place, underscored by their shared curved corners.

The house is square on plan with a curved south-east corner and sits adjacent to a two-storey derelict public house to the west. The pitched roof is finished in natural slate with a hipped corner, angled ridge and hip tiles. A rendered chimneystack with moulded cap rises from the north gable. Remnants of half-round gutters project slightly over the eaves on paired brackets, with cast-iron downpipes.

The walling is ruled-and-lined painted render over a chamfered plinth with a string course between ground and first floor; the curved corner is slightly recessed. All windows are set within stucco architrave surrounds with keyblocks and projecting masonry cills (on brackets to first floor). The north (rear) windows are 2/2 horizontally-divided margin paned timber sashes, with a modern casement insert. The windows to the principal elevations are currently boarded.

The principal entrance elevation faces east and has two openings to each floor. The entrance, now boarded, is set within a gabled porch with decorative timber bargeboards and is accessed by two stone steps with a cast-iron handrail. The south elevation has two windows to each floor. The west elevation is abutted at ground floor by the public house; the first and second floors have an opening to the right side and a fire escape door with steel escape stair to the left. The north elevation is partially concealed by a tall yard boundary wall; to the upper floors, openings are confined to the right side, with two diminutive attic windows.

The house occupies an urban setting bounded by public footpaths to east and south. The rear yard is enclosed by a tall rendered wall. The matching house opposite (3 Stewart's Place) has been fully restored.

Historical Development

The building first appears on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858 and does not appear in the Townland Valuation (1828–40). It was built as part of a pair, both constructed around 1850. Griffith's Valuation (1856–64) lists it as the property of George Ash, who leased it from Hugh Stewart. The house and yard were valued at £22, with dimensions given as 9 × 9½ × 3 feet; outbuildings measured 2 × 2 × 2 feet. George Ash was a wholesale grocer and general merchant in Belfast who gave evidence to a governmental commission in 1859, describing himself as 'one of the oldest merchants of Belfast, if not the very oldest', having been in business since 1785 and a member of the Chamber of Commerce since its formation in 1816.

Following George Ash's death, the building appears to have lain vacant for some time, with its rateable value declining in stages to £16 by 1887. By 1890, the occupier was George G Henderson; by 1900, Margaret Gamble. The house was subsequently named 'Mayville' and underwent several changes of occupier. The building currently lies vacant and is registered on the Built Heritage at Risk register.