Russell Court Hotel

Terraced two-bay four-storey over basement former house, built c. 1815, now in use as hotel. M-profile pitched roof, hidden behind brick parapet with lead-lined coping, rendered chimneystacks with concrete coping and clay pots to north party wall, shouldered brick chimneystacks to south with yellow clay pots. Brick walls laid in Flemish bond over rendered projecting walls to basement. Square-headed window openings with patent reveals and masonry sills, latticed cast-iron balconettes to first floor. Largely replacement six-over-six timber sliding sash windows with horns, three-over-three to third floor. Round-headed door opening with rendered reveals and classical doorcase comprising slender engaged Doric columns on plinth stops, supporting frieze and cornice with decorative leaded fanlight and timber raised-and-fielded panelled door over granite step. Granite entrance platform with anthemion cast-iron boot scraper and granite steps, flanked by cast-iron railings with decorative corner posts on carved painted 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 comprising late-Georgian and early-Victorian townhouses. The retention of decorative elements such as the cast-iron balconettes, railings and boot scraper, in conjunction with the Doric doorcase, serve to enrich the quality of the architectural character. The building positively contributes to the wider streetscape, which is characterised by uniform rooflines, vertical massing and a restrained use of classically-styled detailing. 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.