house

Attached two-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1735, with later full-height gabled addition to rear with two-storey canted-bay; front refaced c. 1890. Now in use as guesthouse. Pitched slate roof on L-plan, hipped to southeast corner, with central glazed lantern, roof behind brick parapet with projecting masonry coping, and having concealed rainwater goods. Flemish bond brown brick walling, reconstructed to top floor, having oval iron pattress plates at junction with building to north and painted smooth rendered walling to basement. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with patent reveals and painted masonry sills, and having camber-headed openings to basement. Replacement timber sliding sash windows with ogee horns, front facade having two-over-two pane windows to top floor and one-over-one pane elsewhere; rear having two-over-two pane windows to top two floors, with four-over-four pane to canted-bay. Round-headed door opening with painted masonry doorcase having engaged Doric pilasters supporting architrave blocks, plain entablature and cobweb fanlight in moulded surround and six-panel raised-and-fielded timber door with brass furniture. Granite entrance platform bridging basement, having two granite steps to street level. Basement area enclosed by spear-headed cast-iron railings on granite plinth.

South Frederick Street was laid out in the 1730s and was largely complete by the 1750s. Constructed c. 1735, No. 12 was likely remodelled during the early nineteenth century and refaced in its closing years. Despite the recent alterations to the fenestration, the house has retained much of its overall Georgian character and includes well-balanced proportions, a finely executed doorcase and enclosing cast-iron railings. The building makes an important contribution to the early streetscape character, variety and architectural quality of this street, which has been fairly well preserved along this eastern stretch. Terminating the vista of Setanta Place, it, along with Nos. 10 and 11, serves as an example of the potential of early Dublin buildings to re-emerge from severe dereliction to viable reuse, in addition to their obvious architectural importance as an early building typology of the city.