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Griffinstown House

1810

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Description:

Griffinstown House, County Westmeath

Reg. No.	15402701
Date	1810 - 1830
Previous Name	N/A
Townland	GRIFFINSTOWN
County	County Westmeath
Coordinates	256537, 246402
Categories of Special Interest	ARCHITECTURAL ARTISTIC HISTORICAL
Rating	Regional
Original Use	country house
In Use As	country house

Description
Detached three-bay two-storey over a basement neoclassical house, built c.1820, with an open cut limestone tetrastyle Greek Ionic entrance porch to the centre of the front façade (north) and a full-height bow-shaped projection to the west elevation. Double hipped natural slate roof with cast-iron rainwater goods, a pair of ashlar limestone chimneystacks aligned parallel to roof ridge and a cut limestone eaves cornice. Bracketed eaves to the rear (south). Constructed of coursed squared limestone rubble over projecting ashlar limestone plinth. Square-headed window openings with cut stone sills and six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows. Central square-headed doorcase to main elevation (north,) behind porch, with a glazed timber door flanked by sidelights. Set back from road in extensive mature grounds with complex of outbuildings to the east (15402703) and main entrance gates to the north (15402704). Located to the west of Kinnegad.

Appraisal
A highly accomplished early nineteenth-century neoclassical country house, which retains its early form, character and fabric. This house is very well-proportioned and is built using limestone that is almost ashlar in quality. The projecting Greek Ionic entrance porch is a very delicate and poised interpretation of the Ionic order. This well executed feature helps to elevate this house above the majority of its contemporaries. It was built for John Fetherston-Haugh but the designer is unknown. However, this is a high class design and is very much in the manner of Francis Johnston. This house has similarities in elevation to Turbotstown House (15400330), near Castlepollard, while its plan is very like that found at Rockview House (15401317), near Delvin. Indeed, Rockview House was also built by a branch of the Fetherston-Haugh family and they may share a common designer/architect. This fine house forms the centrepiece of an important group of related structures, along with the outbuildings (15402703) to the west and the main gates (15402704) to the north and is an integral element of the architectural heritage of Westmeath.

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