Russell Court Hotel

Terraced three-bay four-storey over basement former house, built c. 1820, now in use as hotel. M-profile pitched roof, hidden behind refaced brick parapet with granite coping, brick chimneystacks with yellow clay pots to north and south party walls, parapet gutters with cast-iron hopper and downpipe to north-end. Red brick walls laid in Flemish bond over masonry plinth course and ruled-and-lined rendered walls to basement. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, patent reveals and masonry sills with latticed mild-steel balconettes to first floor. Six-over-six timber sliding sash windows with horns, three-over-three to third floor. Segmental-headed door opening with brick voussoirs and rendered reveals, Ionic columns supporting panelled frieze and cornice, replacement double-leaf timber panelled door with sidelights and leaded fanlight. Granite entrance platform with nosed granite steps flanked by mild-steel railings, with cast-iron railings on granite plinth enclosing basement well to north. Street-fronted, located on west side of Harcourt Street.

Though internally altered for use as a hotel, this building forms part of a relatively intact street of late-Georgian and early-Victorian townhouses. Built as a unified terrace comprising Nos. 24-31 (50920221-8), the group is characterised by the unusually narrow bays of the principal facades. The building positively contributes to the wider streetscape, which is characterised by uniform rooflines, vertical massing and a restrained use of classically-styled detailing. According to Casey (2005) a charming Early Victorian glazed return was added, probably by William Caldbeck, who had offices here from the mid-nineteenth century. Harcourt Street was opened 1777 by John Hatch, barrister and Seneschal of the Manor of St. Sepulchre. Development was sporadic until the late 1790s when Messrs Hatch, Wade and Whitten obtained approval from the Wide Street Commissioners for the further development of the street.