Ogden Imperial Tobacco Ltd Office Block

Details

392/0/10291 BOUNDARY LANE 21-JUN-07 OGDEN - IMPERIAL TOBACCO LTD OFFICE BLOCK II

Office block of Ogden Ltd (later Ogden-Imperial Tobacco Ltd) tobacco manufacturers, 1899, probably by Henry Hartley, eclectic Queen Anne style, pressed red brick with sandstone dressings, central section with clock tower, side wings, hipped roofs, moulded eaves cornice, two storeys.

PLAN: Central corridor with rooms to front and rear, and to each end of building.

EXTERIOR: Main elevation set slightly back from Boundary Lane, raised ground floor set on stone plinth. Projecting moulded stone stringcourse to both floors, brick parapet with sandstone copings to roofline. 4 chimney stacks rising through roof. Roof to central section with two ventilation cupolas. Stone banding detail to first floor and ground floor of side wings. All windows have stone surrounds. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Side wings originally single storey, raised to two storeys shortly after construction. Central section: 8 bays, projecting 4-stage clock tower to bay 4 containing main entrance, surmounted by gableted spire. Elaborate large entrance doorway with surround incorporating pairs of carved consoles beneath keyed arched head, segmental pediment with carved cherub figures, foliage designs and coat of arms displaying Ogden crest. Original geometric panelled mahogany double entrance doors, multipaned fanlight. Tall arched 3-light windows with carved central mullion and keyed arched head to left and right returns. Pair of arched windows with Gibbs-style surrounds to second stage of tower, carved decorative band above, carved statues of griffins holding shields to each side. Windows to returns in same style. False Flemish gables with decorative carved stonework to third stage, each with multipaned oval-shaped occulus. Above large relief lettering reads 'OGDEN'S'. Fourth stage with clock face to each side, carved surrounds, pinnacles surmounted by ball finials to four corners, brick parapet, gableted spire. Arched 6-light windows with multipaned upper lights to rest of ground floor central section, keyed lintels, carved lower mullions and transom, aprons with heraldic style relief carvings. Carved stone pilasters between windows give appearance of an arcade. 4-light square-headed windows with Gibbs-style surrounds to first floor, decorative carved aprons with floral design. Left wing: Projects forward from central section. Central double-height canted bay containing four sash windows to each storey, flanked by windows to each side (shorter windows to first floor), all with 6-light upper sashes and plain lower sashes, carved stone surrounds. Plain carved aprons beneath first floor windows. Windows in same style to left and right returns. Ground floor window to left return converted into doorway. Right wing: 5-bays, set back from central section, matching style to left wing. 6-bay right return.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Stone stair flight leading to entrance, flanked to lower part by black and gold cast-iron railings, to upper part by low, curved stone walls either side of entrance. Walls surmounted by elaborate ornamental cast-iron lamps. Stone gate piers with lamps in same style, highly decorative black and gold painted cast-iron gate. Railings continue along full length of main facade.

INTERIOR: Outer vestibule with decorative mosaic tile floor incorporating floral design. Inner vestibule behind with elaborate mosaic floor incorporating Ogden crest, inlaid marble foundation stone to left with inscription reading 'THIS STONE WAS LAID 8TH APRIL 1899/ BY/ MRS OGDEN WIDOW OF THE LATE THOMAS OGDEN/ FOUNDER OF THIS BUSINESS/ Directors of OGDEN'S Limited/ R.H. WALTERS Chairman/ THOMAS OGDEN WILLIAM BARKER OGDEN/ PERCY CALLAGHAN JOHN MACCONNAL/ HENRY HARTLEY F.R.I.B.A Architect R.W. STUMBLES Secretary'. Double doors with glazed upper panels, decorative carved timber surround incorporating egg and dart moulding, fanlight, keyed stone arch. Oak panelled entrance hall with full height panelling, glazed upper panels. Stair hall with Jacobean style mahogany dog-leg stair, turned balusters, ornately carved square newel post. Large 4-light window to half landing. Cantilevered return flight with geometric style panelling to underside. Doorway to rear of stair hall leads into factory areas behind. Oak panelling to E side of central corridor (fake panelling to W side). Original 5-panel doors throughout ground floor. Moulded door and window architraves to both floors. Decorative doorcases incorporating carved flat pediments to ground floor. Later inserted suspended ceilings to main office rooms on both floors, moulded cornicing believed to survive underneath. Three safe rooms (two to ground floor, one to first floor) with original doors, door furniture, tiled interior and protective air holes adjacent to door. Two also with original door plaque containing maker's crest and patent. Formal offices and meeting rooms to left ground floor end of building. Internal hall lit by large hipped roof light, light-well above clad in reflective white tiles, offices to S, E & W (that to E partitioned but retains original carved timber fireplace). Large office (originally two offices) to S with further fireplace of similar design. Large boardroom (now partitioned) to front of building with large canted bay window, oak panelling to lower part of window, wide carved timber arch. Large open-plan main office to right end of ground floor, columns with Corinthian capitals. Oak panelled dog-leg stair to rear centre of room rises to first floor offices. Upper floor offices originally partitioned but since opened up, moulded cornicing to areas without later inserted suspended ceilings (believed to survive throughout). Doorways to each end of building at rear lead into first floor factory areas.

HISTORY: Ogden-Imperial Tobacco Ltd, Liverpool, began life as a local private concern in 1859/60 when Thomas Ogden started a tobacconist business from his premises on 54 Park Lane where he was also a leather dealer. In the following years Ogden opened further shops and also became a cigar importer, culminating in 1868 in the acquisition of premises in St James Street, which became his first tobacco factory. A second factory opened in Cornwallis Street in 1870 and within 20 years Ogden's had expanded to include 6 factories and stores in Liverpool. Shortly before his death in 1890 Thomas Ogden converted the business into a limited company known as T. Ogden Ltd (Ogden Ltd. after his death). Following his death Thomas' two sons, Thomas Ogden junior and William Barker Ogden took over the running of the business. Six dispersed factories soon became uneconomical and following the issuing of shares in 1895 capital was raised in 1897 to build a new factory and offices at Boundary Lane, which opened in 1899. Ogden Ltd. was the first company in the world to introduce the idea of collectable illustrated cigarette cards, and also helped to found the National Association of Tobacco Manufacturers in 1898. In 1901 James B Duke, head of the American Tobacco Company acquired Ogden's and extended the office block by adding an additional storey to the side wings. For just over a year Ogden's became the pivotal firm in the American Tobacco Company's attempts to break into and dominate the English tobacco industry. In 1902 Ogden Ltd. was sold to Imperial Tobacco and became one of their branches. During the mid C20 several tobacco companies merged with Ogden's. In 1962 Ogden's ceased production of cigarettes and concentrated on pipe tobacco, hand-rolled tobacco and snuffs (the latter from 1989 onwards) and in 1978 a modern factory building was constructed alongside West Derby Road. In the 1980s the Boundary Lane site underwent £1 million of improvement works, which provided new machinery and resulted in the demolition of a long 4-storey building on the W side of the site. Further change occurred in the 1990s when the engineering department building became a bonded warehouse and the former stables and garages became a staff restaurant and packing area. Imperial Tobacco is now the world's fourth largest international tobacco company. However, following changes in the market and production costs it was announced in July 2006 that the Liverpool site would cease production and close. The factory finally closed in March 2007.

SOURCES: Ogden's of Liverpool. 2000. 'The Pipeman's Companion'. Bristol: Interfocus Publishing on behalf of Ogden's of Liverpool and Imperial Tobacco. 'About us - History'. Imperial Tobacco. 2007. Available on HTTP: http://www.imperial-tobacco.com Liverpool Record Office: Papers and archives of Ogden-Imperial Tobacco Company Ltd.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION: The office block at Ogden-Imperial Tobacco Ltd is designated at grade II for the following principal reasons: * An impressive example of late C19 eclectic Queen Anne style * The high quality design and craftsmanship displayed both externally and internally * The design and decorative detail of the building, particularly externally to the main principal elevation, successfully conveys the company's original status as one of the largest tobacco manufacturers in the country

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

503321

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Ogden's of Liverpool The Pipeman's Companion, (2000)

End of official list entry

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