591 Ormeau Road, Belfast

591 Ormeau Road, Belfast

A three-storey red-brick late Victorian terraced house built in 1871 as part of a larger development on the Ormeau Road, approximately 3 kilometres south of Belfast city centre. The house is one of a terrace of seven similar dwellings and forms part of a significant group of residential red-brick terraced housing that reflects Belfast's rapid expansion southwards along the main thoroughfares during the late nineteenth century.

The building is almost completely intact externally and internally, retaining its original enclosed rear yard and outhouses. The main part of the house is rectangular in plan with an attic level, and a two-storey rectangular-shaped return with an enclosed yard to the rear. A small front garden with lawn and concrete path sits behind sandstone kerbstones, with a painted timber boarded gate and hedge. The rear of the terrace extends to a long narrow garden bounded by a laneway, separated by a modern timber board fence and gate.

The walls are constructed in smooth red clay brick laid in Flemish bond. The roof is natural slate with cast metal rainwater goods to the front and uPVC to the rear. Clay ventilation bricks appear at first floor level, and a series of slightly projecting polychromatic brick courses marks the eaves level.

The front elevation faces east and features a painted timber six-panel door with overlight of plain glazing positioned to the right. A painted timber canopy with flat lead-covered roof shelters the door, supported on painted timber scrolled brackets carved with foliate detail, and has a moulded painted timber architrave. To the left of the door is a 2/2 single-glazed painted timber sliding-sash window with margin panes. Two similar windows occupy the first floor level. Window openings have smooth painted plaster reveals and are square-headed with soldier course headers. A red-brick chimney stack rises on the right-hand side, with its upper half appearing to have been replaced with red-brick courses and replacement red clay pots.

The rear elevation to the west shows the main house with 2/2 single-glazed painted timber sliding-sash windows with margin panes at each floor level on the right-hand side. To the left stands the original two-storey red-brick return, with parts of both the return and rear wall painted. The south elevation of the return has a replacement painted timber door with glazed upper panel and a replacement painted timber casement window on the right at ground level. On the left-hand side are two openings: one arched (a fuel store) and one square-headed (outside toilet/workshop). The west gable elevation of the return features a small rectangular painted timber window at ground level and a 2/2 single-glazed painted timber sliding-sash window with margin panes at first floor level. The north elevation of the return is blank. An enclosed yard contains original yard walling in red-brick with canted brick coping and a square-headed doorway with painted timber boarded door. Replacement uPVC rainwater goods run to the rear of the house.

The side elevations abut neighbouring properties: the north elevation adjoins No. 589 Ormeau Road, and the south elevation adjoins No. 593 Ormeau Road, both part of the same group listing.

The house was built in 1871 as an addition to a short terrace of four matching dwellings to the north (Nos. 583–589 Ormeau Road, originally known as 'Belvoir Place'), which were constructed around 1864. The entire group was probably developed by Thomas Courtney, listed as the immediate lessor in the valuation book. In 1871 Courtney also added a pair of taller dwellings to the south (Nos. 593–595). Contemporary newspaper advertising from May 1871 described the new properties as 'two-storey houses, with good attics, situate in Ballynafeigh...neatly and comfortably finished...good gardens front and rere...in the most healthy locality, with a dry soil and mild, salubrious air.'

The occupancy history begins with William Shaw from 1871 to circa 1874, followed by John Walker, described as a 'traveller', from circa 1874 to circa 1878. James Montgomery occupied the property from circa 1881 to circa 1890, followed by Mrs. Sarah McDaid from circa 1890 to circa 1893, and Mary Gibson from circa 1893 to 1896. Around 1898 the property became 'Rosetta Post Office' under postmaster Robert Harrison. This use proved short-lived; the local post office relocated to a property in Marguerite Terrace (present 531–545 Ormeau Road), and by the 1901 census Harrison had become simply a 'commercial traveller' residing at No. 591 with his wife Margaret, six children, and an elderly boarder, Janet Moore.

J. O'Brien, another 'commercial traveller', leased the property from circa 1902, followed by William Meade, a sub-postmaster, from circa 1905, at which point part of the building again served as the local post office. The 1911 census records Meade occupying four rooms with Seamus and Maire Cerligh, fellow post office employees, living in the remaining four rooms. The property continued as a post office into the late 1940s, after which Mr Cerligh remained as householder until the later 1950s. John Smiley, a bus conductor, is recorded as occupant in the 1967 street directory, followed in the 1980s by Laurence Wood, who was still resident in 1995.

The house represents an excellent example of modest late Victorian urban terraced housing, built during a period of rapid expansion of Belfast southwards from the city centre. The rear of the terrace, with its yards and original garden allotments, remains remarkably intact and forms a distinct group with its adjacent houses. The property retains considerable historical and architectural interest as part of a significant residential development.