78, HARLEY STREET

Details

HARLEY STREET W1
14-MAR-1966 (West side)

1900/45/10297 No.78
[Formerly Listed as:
HARLEY STREET W1
(West side)
Nos. 70-82 (Even)]

GV II*


Terraced town house. c.1773- 75 as part of the Portland Estate development probably by John White, in partnership with the plasterer Thomas Collins (both associates of Sir William Chambers).
EXTERIOR: Stock brick with channelled stucco ground floor; slate roofs. 4 storeys and dormered mansards, on basements. 3 window front. Square headed doorway to right with vermiculated Gibbs surround to modern double part-glazed doors with side lights and fanlight over. Canted bay to ground floor; front area with railings. All windows now with plate glass sashes, under flat gauged arches to upper floors. 1st floor plat bands. Parapets with stone copings. Continuous cast iron balconies to 1st floor, probably later C.19, with curved wrought iron S-scrolls.
INTERIOR: altered and extended to rear in later C19, now contains a mix of original features and Early Georgian-style features of Victorian date, as well as a number of notable sculptural items inserted as part of the fabric. Features of interest include the following items. Basement: plain doors and surrounds remain; front south room with slanted light in wall. Ground floor: hall with marble squares to floor, stone armorial cartouche in frame to left of door, wrought iron radiator grille with decorative L's in Louis XV style below stairs, landscape painting attached to wall. Ground floor front room with elaborate Baroque style oak bookshelf, Kentian white marble chimneypiece with shell and floral husk motif. Mahogany doors and Kent-style doorcases throughout main floors. Ground floor central room with Rococo ceiling, Kentian chimneypiece with Porturo marble columns, Ionic screen, in-built buffet incorporating mid-16th century classical relief of draped figures flanking armorial cartouches. Rear addition contains room with statuary marble chimneypiece yellow jasper marble insets and meander pattern frieze. Inner (west-facing) front of mews house to rear is embellished with continental wrought iron window grilles, a relief of the lion of St Mark, and a rusticated arched window surround with carved keystone. Open, top-lit stone cantilevered staircase with Louis XV-style ironwork of unclear date, with unusual passing places at mid-flight and on the main landing. Staircase sports a number of sculptural items set into wall: a pair of marble tondi, probably Italian and c.1600, representing a pope and a bishop (presumably from a series showing Fathers of the Church); a pair of Atlantes, probably 16th century, and at top an ecclesiastical Baroque armorial cartouche. First floor rooms also of high quality. Front room (currently sub-divided) with fine Rococo ceiling, Georgian statuary marble chimneypiece with Ionic columns, a central round relief of cherubs, and insets of verde antico marble. First floor central room with fine Rococo ceiling, modillion cornice, statuary marble chimneypiece with tapering fluted pilasters, paterae and urn reliefs, central relief of acanthus-tailed cherubs flanking urn. Room in rear extension includes statuary marble chimneypiece with fluted pilasters, urns and paterae reliefs, central relief of acanthus tailed cherubs flanking urn. Upper floors of less interest and considerably altered. HISTORY: Built in the mid-1770s as part of the Portland Estate development, this house retains fine ceilings and chimneypieces from this time: the plasterer Thomas Collins, a regular associate of William Chambers, was involved with this development. The house was considerably altered late in the 19th century. It was occupied by Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck early in the 20th century who may have been responsible for the installation of the sculptural items. A prestigious mid-Georgian town house possessing an interior of considerable interest.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

489723

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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