List of Sites of Special Interest
37-39 King Street, St. Helier.
This report has been prepared by Jersey Heritage as part of its responsibility under a Service Level Agreement to provide reports and recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Environment on the architectural, historical and archaeological significance of buildings and sites.
The assessment and recommendation are made in accordance with Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law, 2002; Policy G11 of the Jersey Island Plan, 2002; and the principles of selection for designation as a site of special interest as set out in the interim policies for the conservation of historic buildings, 1998. The report includes the views and advice offered by the Ministerial Registration and Listing Advisory Group.
Author of report: Roger Hills BA(Hons) MA DipBldgCons (RICS) IHBC Head of Historic Buildings
Date of report: 23 July 2008
File ref: HE1153
Current status
First registered in 1992; upgraded to pSSI 29 April 2002
Relevant interests of the site
Historic interest
37-39 King Street are of interest as late Georgian buildings which contain the only example in Jersey of a Victorian galleried shop interior.
The Le Gros map shows three buildings on the site in 1834. These were separately purchased and combined by Charles Hamon (Draper) in the mid-19th century. Victoria House (No.37) was bought in 1845, followed in 1847 by a former bakery that sat behind King Street. Finally, the premises fronting King Street (No.39) was purchased in 1854. The Hamon family have been operating a draper’s business from these premises for 163 years.
Architectural interest
Victoria House (No.37) appears to have been built as a shop in the late Georgian period, pre-1830, and elements of its architectural design are indicative of that period. The shop occupies a prominent position with 5-bays on Brook Street and 2-bays on King Street with a curved corner bay. The building is 3-storey and is rendered in imitation ashlar with a moulded string course below a parapet wall which masks a shallow pitched roof. There is a pair of 19th century fluted cast iron columns framing a recessed corner entrance, and a similar pair of fluted cast iron columns to the Brook Street entrance. Otherwise the ground floor is characterised by large plain shop windows with panelled risers and glazed doors with long single panes and appliqué faux panels beneath - apparently dating to the 1920s. There are original 12-pane timber sash windows without horns to the first floor with a large loading ‘door’ at the corner. The second floor also has contemporary 12-pane sash windows but of a diminished scale, with a curved sash window to the corner. The interior of Victoria House retains some early joinery including panelled linings and aprons to the windows and unusually bold mouldings on the architrave. An internal door has matching mouldings and an unusual arrangement of 6 panels. There are some exposed floor beams visible with early beaded edges.
No.39 was built in the 1820s and incorporates a building on the street frontage and another to the rear - now combined into a single space. The King Street façade is 3-storey, 3-bay and is rendered in imitation rusticated ashlars and voussoirs. A parapet wall masks the roof . There are 12-pane sash windows without horns to the second floor but the first floor has modified 2-pane sashes. The shopfront is contemporary with Victoria House and of the same c.1920s design. The interior of No.39 is of particular interest as it is the only example in Jersey of a Victorian galleried shop. The interior is open to the second floor and is circled by a full gallery with decorative cast iron balustrades and a mahogany hand rail. The gallery is accessed via an Edwardian staircase of relatively grand scale. A pair of tall, fluted cast iron columns midway in the shop supports the former boundary wall between the earlier buildings.
Advice offered by MRLAG (and others if stated)
MRLAG discussed the interests of 37-39 King Street at its meeting on 7 July 2008. Members unanimously agreed with the JH recommendation to list the site as an SSI.
Jersey Heritage recommendation
37-39 King Street should be listed as an SSI.
Justification relating to criteria
The listing of 37-39 King Street as an SSI is in accordance with the published policy guidance, in particular:
- The special interest of 37-39 King Street extends substantially to its authentic fabric, plan form and interior features;
- The site is of special interest for its architectural design, style, composition, and use of materials and details from the late Georgian period to the early 20th century;
- The internal plan form of the building contributes significantly to its special interest as it is the only example in Jersey of a Victorian galleried shop;
- 37-39 King Street is of special historic interest as it is illustrative of the social and economic history of the town from the 1830s, and has a long-standing historical association with the Hamon family.
Attachments
SSI schedule and plan
Photographs, June 2008
Board of Trustees
Chairman: Jurat John de Veulle OBE Vice-Chairman: Philip Le Brocq
Rowland Anthony, Geoffrey Crill, Connétable Simon Crowcroft, Blair Gould, Clive Jones, Deputy Carolyn Labey, Paul Nicolle, Jane Stubbs,
Jonathan Voak
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