10 Florence Terrace, Northland Road, Londonderry

10 Florence Terrace, Northland Road, Londonderry

This is a substantial late-Victorian three-storey former private house with basement, built in 1890 to designs by the local architect and civil engineer William Barker (1851–1898). Rendered in an Italianate style and arranged over five bays, it occupies the end position of a terrace on the north-west side of Northland Road in the townland of Edenballymore, west of the River Foyle. Originally known as 'Oakfield', it is now in office use and forms part of the Magee Conservation Area.

Architectural Overview

The building has a rectangular plan form facing south-east, with a large double-pile three-storey return to the rear, abutted by a large modern L-shaped two-storey rendered extension. It is part of a terrace of six buildings on an elevated site, though it differs in form and style from the adjoining five terraced houses at numbers 12 to 20 Florence Terrace, which are similar to one another in style and date from around 1875. Number 10 was built at a later date and acts as a distinctive architectural book-end to the terrace.

The hipped roof is covered in natural slate with black clay ridge tiles and four large two-stage brick chimneys with buff or terracotta clay pots. There are timber fascia boards and a moulded soffit with paired block modillions, and cast iron rainwater goods throughout the main house.

Front Elevation (South-East)

The front elevation features a single-storey three-sided canted bay to the left of the door opening and a square bay window to the right. Both bays have parapets with cut-outs containing decorative ironwork detailing, deep projecting cornices below, and moulded sill-courses. Window openings in both bays are square-headed one-over-one timber sliding sashes. The upper floor windows are segmental arched, with one-over-one double-hung timber sash windows with moulded horns. The first-floor windows have moulded architraves with keystones on a continuous sill-course, and there is a continuous moulded string-course between the first and second floor windows. Diamond cushioned quoins appear at either end of the elevation.

The recessed semicircular arched doorcase has a hood mould with keystone and moulded pilasters to either side, with egg-and-dart detailing to the archivolt and a crown moulding. Four concrete steps rise to two-leaf timber doors with diamond raised-and-fielded panels and a plain semicircular fanlight over. An original letter slot survives on the inner porch door.

South-West Side Elevation

This elevation is in a rendered painted finish and is abutted by a painted metal external fire stair. There are moulded sill-courses to the first-floor windows and a moulded string-course below the second-floor windows. Diamond cushioned quoins appear at either end of the main house and rear return. Ground and first-floor windows have moulded architrave surrounds with keystones; ground-floor windows are square-headed and first and second-floor windows are segmental arched. All windows are one-over-one timber sliding sashes. At second-floor level there is a timber fire door opening onto a metal external staircase.

Rear Elevation (North-West)

The rear elevation is rendered with square-headed window openings fitted with uPVC casement windows where visible. At second-floor half-landing level there is a large semicircular arched one-over-two timber sliding sash window with horns and coloured glass to the upper section with margin panes. There is also a small circular window between the two right-side bays at second-floor level. The three-storey return has a double-pile hipped natural slate roof with black ridge tiles and two brick chimney stacks. The large modern extension to the rear abuts the three-storey return at ground and first-floor level. The rear elevation is further abutted by a high stone wall and a square pier to the south end. The north-east side of the house adjoins the neighbouring number 12 Florence Terrace.

Interior

Much of the historic interior detailing has been retained, although the original plan form has been altered.

Setting

The building is set on the north-west side of Northland Road on an elevated site. The principal entrance is approached by a short flight of concrete steps, with a low concrete wall and pier to either side. The front and driveway are finished in bitmac and enclosed by a dwarf wall. The large modern extension abuts the rear of the building.

Historical Context

The northern expansion of Londonderry had begun in the mid-19th century with the construction of Georgian-style terraces on Great James Street, Queen Street, and Clarendon Street. The Northland Road and surrounding area of Edenballymore remained rural in character when the Victorian terrace at Crawford Square was constructed in the 1860s to 1870s. A period of economic growth and prosperity from the 1860s to the end of the 19th century, combined with the opening of Magee College in 1865, prompted the construction of a number of new terraced dwellings in the vicinity, including College Terrace, Clarence Avenue, and Florence Terrace.

William Barker, who designed number 10, was also responsible for other buildings in the Magee College area during his short career, including one of the red-brick professor's residences on the opposite side of Northland Road, the Bethany Hall on Park Avenue, and the standard design of Aberfoyle Terrace on the Strand Road. It is unlikely that Barker was responsible for the adjoining numbers 12 to 20 Florence Terrace, as those were built before he had established his independent practice in the city.

The building was originally known as 'Oakfield' and was first occupied by Marshall Tillie, a local magistrate, shirt manufacturer, and manager at Tillie and Henderson, the prominent local firm founded by his father William Tillie. The cost of construction was recorded as £2,000, with a rateable value upon completion set at £70. The 1901 census described the house as a first-class dwelling with 14 rooms and a coach house to the rear. Marshall Tillie had vacated by 1911, when the house was occupied by Lieutenant Colonel Donald Mackenzie Stewart of His Majesty's Infantry. The building originally possessed cast iron railings, which have since been removed.

In 1926 to 1927, Oakfield was converted into an Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital to designs by Buchanan and Reid, an architectural partnership based at 6 Shipquay Street. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936 to 1957), the rateable value of the building was increased to £140, and under the Second Revaluation (1956 to 1972) it was further raised to £248 when the building was described as a special care centre administered by the Ministry of Health and Social Services Northern Ireland.

The building was listed in 1979 and continued in use as a care centre until 1990, when it was converted to educational and office use for the North West College of Technology. Two- and three-storey modern educational blocks were constructed to the rear in around 2005. Florence Terrace was included in the Magee Conservation Area in 2006. The large modern extension to the rear detracts from the historic character of the building.

Number 10 has group value with the adjoining numbers 12 to 20 Florence Terrace despite having been built at a later date and being different in form and style.