house

Terraced three-bay four-storey over basement house, built c.1790, having full-height bow to rear elevation. Hipped and pitched complex-plan roof having parapet with granite capping to front (north) elevation. Rendered chimneystacks to east party wall. Red brick walls laid in Flemish bond, rendered parapet and gables. Painted cut granite plinth course over lined-and-ruled rendered walls to basement. Square-headed window openings having patent reveals and granite sills. Timber sash windows. Wrought-iron balconettes to first floor. Three-over-three panes to third floor, six-over-six panes to second floor and basement, nine-over-nine panes to first floor, one-over-one pane with margin lights to ground floor. Round-headed door opening having painted masonry surround with engaged Ionic columns supporting fluted frieze with paterae. Cobweb fanlight. Timber panelled door. Granite steps to entrance platform. Cast-iron railings on granite plinth wall to steps having remains of lamp-stands to corners. Basement area enclosed from pavement by granite plinth wall with cast-iron railings, recent metal gates. Square-headed door opening to basement having recent timber door. Square-headed openings to under pavement stores. Granite paving to external basement area. Two cast-iron coal-hole covers to granite paving in front of structure.

This generously proportioned house makes an important contribution to the streetscape. The tallest house in the terrace it marks the centre of the impressive, almost continuous, late eighteenth-century terrace to the south side of Eccles Street. It retains many early features including sash windows, Ionic door surround, railings, lamp stands and basement area paving. It was once the residence of Archbishop Paul Cullen. Eccles Street was laid out in 1772 by the Gardiner Estate. It was to be an arterial route leading to Gardiner's ambitious yet unrealised Royal Circus, planned for the north-west end of Eccles Street. The south side of the street is an impressive, almost entirely, late eighteenth-century terrace with taller buildings to the centre of the terrace.