The Gables

Terraced three-bay two-storey former orphanage building, built c.1900, as one of pair. Now in use as house. Natural slate roof, pitched to west, hipped to east with tall red brick chimneystack abutting west gable of adjoining house. Moulded cast-iron guttering supported on stepped red brick eaves course with replacement uPVC hopper and downpipe. Machine-made red brick walls laid in Dutch bond. Gauged brick flat-arch window openings with granite ashlar sills and replacement uPVC windows. Gauged brick flat-arch door opening with replacement panelled and glazed timber door and rectangular over-light. Door opens onto terracotta tiled platform and five tiled steps enclosed by painted cement rendered raking walls. Rear elevation has randomly placed square-headed window openings with replacement uPVC windows and flight of concrete steps to back door. Single-storey red brick structure to rear garden having shallow hipped corrugated-iron roof, cast-iron rainwater goods and square-headed window openings with granite sills, limestone ashlar lintels and early twentieth-century six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows with some cylinder glass and ogee horns. Front gravel area and long front garden enclosed by rendered walls and elevated above street level with flight of concrete steps opening onto street via replacement timber door and enclosed by tall calp limestone rubble wall to street.

Built as one of a pair, this building forms part of a terrace of six of varying dates and styles, which together made up the Drummond Institution, a home for the orphan daughters of soldiers. Despite the loss of its original windows most of the façade materials remain intact. The single-storey structure to the rear adds further interest to the site. The relatively late construction date adds to the variety on this short terrace, while its elevated setting and front boundary walls add to the historic character of Chapelizod.