Georgian house

Georgian Building E.g – Hartstone St, Limerick City Co. Limerick

Introduction:  This Georgian townhouse was built circa

1820 – 1830.  Like the Georgian building in the locality it

was built by the Pery Square Tontine Company  The houses were built to a very high

standard which is evident from their condition today Old Photo.

History:  The house was originally owned by the Harris family  The O Mara family bought it in 1886

 The house would have been owned by the upper class and

servants would have lived there also  The house is currently used by the St Vicent D Paul and

renamed after the founder SVP Frederic Ozanam.

Architectural Characteristics:  Georgian Buildings have several

distinguishing features that made it stand out form other dwellings

 The read brick is a striking feature

as is the four storey high construction.

 The original windows are

traditional sash which decrease in height with the building height.

Architectural Characteristics: ď‚— One striking feature is the coal cellar under the road with

access from the basement. ď‚— A man hole exists on the street in front of the house through

which coal is fed to the cellar. ď‚— Other common features of Georgian buildings are metal

balconies around the windows at the first floor that decreases as the building gets higher.

Windows  The windows of the Georgian house are an

extremely important heritage and design feature. Originally the windows were double sash windows which allowed both sashes to move up and down

 As your eye level moves higher the window

size decreases. This important feature give the house the correct proportion from the street.

 The contrast between the

limestone and red brick is a pleasing finish

Door: ď‚— The Georgian doorway of this house

is probably the most iconic feature. ď‚— Made from solid panels of solid

wood and surrounded by cylindrical pillars it provides an eye catching appearance. There is a semi circular glazed section over the door which is divided into sections.

Parapet wall  The parapet wall is another key feature of

Georgian architecture.

 Its function is to hide the roof from the

street level which at the time was considered more visually pleasing.

 The wall also acts as a valley which

collects the water from the roof and direct the water towards the down pipe at the side of the building.

Chimney: ď‚— The amount of chimney pots each

chimney contain signifies the high number of fireplaces which existed. ď‚— The chimney extend up past the

parapet wall and past the pitch roof allowing for the smoke to clear.

Roof:  The roof of a Georgian building is doubly

pitched. By having two roofs the overall height of the structure is reduced and ensures it cannot be seen from the street.

 The rafters are built on the parapet walls

which would later cause problem due to moisture penetration.

 The roof is symmetrical

so the back is the same as the front.

Exterior: ď‚— The exterior of the building

was constructed using brick. It was constructed by highly skilled bricklayers as the quality of their work can still be seen today.

ď‚— The original mortar was lime

as it was required in order for any moisture which penetrated the wall to leave. Lime holds such characteristics.

Interior:  Key interiors features include:  Staircase

 Skirting boards were 12-15

inches high to prevent dirt getting on the wide dress.

 Fireplace was specially design

to allow the heat to radiate.