30 Malone Park, Belfast BT9 6NJ

30 Malone Park is a detached, three-bay, two-storey red brick house built around 1890, located on the north side of Malone Park in South Belfast. It forms part of the prestigious Malone Park development, which was laid out as a residential suburb providing substantial private residences for Belfast's industrial wealthy outside the city centre. The house was first recorded on the Third Edition Ordnance Survey map in 1901 and was originally named 'Lumeah'. It sits within a large private garden screened from the road by mature planting, with vehicular access via a south-west facing gravel drive.

The principal elevation faces south-west and is symmetrically composed. The main entrance comprises a round-headed opening set in a tall, slightly projected brick surround inset with polished granite half-colonettes having sandstone capitals, impost mouldings and base. The brick archivolt features a pointed sandstone keystone with studded cornice and painted paterae to the spandrels. The original timber door has six bolection moulded pointed panels with a plain overlight, accessed via four bull-nosed steps. To either side of the entrance are single-storey canted bays, each containing three windows, with a brick parapet detailed with terracotta paterae. The first floor has paired windows to either side with a single central window aligned above the entrance.

The house is constructed in Flemish bonded red brick over a brick plinth. Much original external historic fabric survives, including gauged brick detailing relieved by occasional contrasting sandstone and granite. Gauged brick egg-and-dart corniced eaves support original profile cast iron rainwater goods. Simple stringcourses mark lintel and cill levels, with an ornate studded stringcourse between floors forming a cornice to all canted bays. Ground floor windows are square-headed with incised stone lintels, while first floor openings are segmental-headed with gauged brick hood mouldings. All windows are 1/1 timber sliding sash with horns, set over projecting cills.

The roof is of natural slate with leaded ridges and hips, featuring a central section bounded by ornate metal cresting. Three red brick chimneystacks rise from the wall-head of each secondary elevation, each with three yellow terracotta pots.

The north-east elevation is abutted by a three-storey return in plainly detailed red brick with pitched natural slate roof and timber fascia. This contains various window openings in plain reveals, including margin-paned stairwell windows. The addition has a hipped roof with a glazed cupola featuring a tall pyramidal roof with finial and original profiled rainwater goods. A lean-to garden room abuts to the east side, fully glazed with obscured glass over a brick plinth. The south-east elevation has a canted bay to the right side closely flanked by an additional single window, with a pair of windows aligned directly above. The left side is dominated by a projecting chimneybreast.

Early occupants included Albert Dent, who initially leased the property from James Milling, when it was valued at £34. By 1897, dentist Dr William H. Elwood was residing there under a lease from James Reid. The addition of a conservatory to the rear around 1897 more than doubled the property value to £70. By 1915, the house was being let by James Gallagher (resident next door at number 32), with improvements carried out by that date raising the value to £83. By 1918, it was occupied by William H. Turtle, a linen manufacturer, who remained in residence until around 1930 when Mrs R. Black took residence. The original coach house, located to the west of the main residence, was demolished around 1999 for the erection of a new double garage.

The building retains its original late Victorian proportions and much of its original fine setting. Malone Park developed as one of the most prestigious of Belfast's residential suburbs, providing substantial private residences for the city's industrial magnates. The avenue was noted as the final stop on the tram line serving the city centre.