No. 32 Old Queen Street

XXX.—No. 32 OLD QUEEN STREET.

Ground Landlord.

The freehold belongs to Mr. C. R. Scriven, who is also the occupier.

General Description and Date of Structure.

On 15th March, 1703–4, Thomas Sutton sold (fn. n1) to Elizabeth Milner several plots of land on both sides of the western portion of Old Queen Street and the whole of Park Prospect. Among them was a "parcell of "ground, with a new-built brick messuage," with frontages to Queen Street and St. James's Park of 24½ feet, and a depth on both sides of 36 feet, abutting east on a messuage of Mr. King and west on that of Walter Whitfield, "and now or late in the occupation of Sir Wm. Honywood."

The original house is no longer standing. The architectural evidence seems to point to the end of the 18th or the beginning of the 19th century as the date at which the demolition took place, but the ratebooks do not contain anything to confirm this suggestion.

The exterior consists of a plain brick front of five storeys over a basement and an attic storey. A square bay window supported on cast-iron brackets has been constructed at the first floor.

The premises contain some interesting mantelpieces dating from the second half of the 18th century, which were probably obtained from other buildings. The front room on the first floor has a carved wood mantelpiece, which has the frieze decorated with a female head, between ribands and floral festoons, while carved consoles support the enriched moulded shelf (Plate 72). On the second floor the front room has an Italian breccia marble mantelpiece designed in the French rococo style with complementary decorative cast-iron panels to the jambs and back. The back room has a statuary and sienna marble mantelpiece (Plate 73) with the central tablet inlaid with a representation of a conventional urn in lapis lazuli, while small vases over the pilasters are inlaid in a similar manner. A handsome castiron hob-grate completes the general composition (Plate 73).

Condition of Repair.

Good.

Historical Notes.

According to the ratebooks, the occupiers of the houses on this site up to 1840 were:—

In the Council's Collection are:—

(fn. n3) Mantelpiece in back room on first floor (photograph).
(fn. n3) Mantelpiece in back room on second floor (photograph).
Mantelpiece in front room on second floor (photograph).