User:Shard47/William Atkins (architect)
William Ringrose Atkins (1811–1887) was an Irish architect of the Victorian era.
William R. Atkins | |
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Born | William Ringrose Atkins 1811 |
Died | 1887 |
Nationality | Irish |
Occupation | Architect |
Parents |
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A native of Cork, William R. Atkins is an architect whose fame has been lost to posterity, although in 1846 he received one of the largest public commissions in Cork city, to build the city and county asylum. This was a commission received from the Board of Works, and was being angled for at the time by the more established Cork architect Thomas Deane who was then engaged in the building of Queen's College Cork. Built in a revival Gothic style, 1846-53, this is popularly held to have the longest corridor in all of Europe - it is now converted into modern apartments. He also received the first prize for a design for a new town hall for Cork in 1851, although this was never built. [1]
Early Life and Career
[edit]William Atkins was the fourth son of Ringrose Atkins, MD, and Sarah Atkins (daughter and co-heiress of William Atkins of Fountainville, Mallow, Co. Cork) was born at Firville, near Mallow, roughly around 1812. His father's youngest sister Margaret was the second wife of George Richard Pain , to whom he was apprenticed. In 1831 a drawing by Atkins was judged the second best architectural drawing in the exhibition of the Cork Society for Promoting the Fine Arts; his premium was, however, withheld. The drawing in question may have been the 'Design for a Temple to the Fine Arts' which he exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy the following year. Between 1845 and 1869 Atkins entered at least thirteen architectural competitions, achieving the rank of first place in five of them. Two of his successful designs - for Cork Town Hall and Killarney Railway Hotel, both of 1852 - were produced in collaboration with another architect. In the second half of the 1860s he designed several new Church of Ireland churches in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel, which suggests that he may have been a district architect for the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in this period. [4]
In 1845 Atkins married his cousin Louisa Gelston (1812-1904). Two years later he inherited half the estate of his maternal grandfather William Atkins at Fountainville. He farmed the property until 1854.[4]
Death and Legacy
[edit]He died on 5 January 1887, at age 76, leaving a widow, three sons and a daughter and an estate of £5000 in Ireland and £500 in England. His pupils and assistants included Samuel Francis Hynes and Edward James Martin. [4]
Estates
[edit]11 Morrison's Island, Cork, 1842-44;(8) Bridge Street, Cork, 1854;(9) 6 Adelaide Place, Cork, 1858-1860;(10) 22 Warren's Place, Cork, 1863;(11) 39 South Mall, and 6 Adelaide Place, St Luke's, 1867.(12) 39 South Mall, 1871.(13) [4]
Works
[edit]Year | Building | Location (Ireland) | Description or Contribution |
---|---|---|---|
1843-45 | Leamy's School | Upper Hartstonge Street, Limerick | Competed for plans and specifications for new school announced in Mar 1843. Plans of WA for Tudor Revival building selected. Contractor: Joseph Fogerty, Henry St. |
1845 | County Court House | Gort Road, Ennis, Clare | Atkins was a competition entrant, but competition won by Henry Whitestone. |
1845 | Mount Jerome Cemetery, Chapel | Harold's Cross Road, Dublin | Winner of Competition |
1847-1852; 1861 | District Lunatic Asylum (Our Lady's Hospital) | Lee Road, Cork | Chief Architect. New asylum in 'First Pointed' style. Begun 1849. Opened 1852 when accommodation was for 250 men and 250 women. Cost £87,000. Extended 1861,1873.(Robert Walker contractor for 1873 extension) Atkins resigns in 1876 as a result of dispute with Board. |
1848-1852 | St. Mary's Dominican Priory | Pope's Quay, Cork | Italianate with campanile 100ft high. Cork Red sandstone with limestone dressings.. FS laid 2 May 1848. In course of erection, 1850, when Builder correspondent opined that a 'Flemish-looking gable takes from the general effect produced by the rest of the façade'. Described as 'newly erected', Aug 1851. Contractor for interior: Cornelius O'Leary. |
1849 | Church(CI) | Castlecomer, Kilkenny | Restoration |
1849 | St. Columbia College | College Road, Dublin | Atkins was the executant architect who carried out the additions and alterations following the design of Mr P.C. Hardwick as nearly as possible. |
1850 | Church of Holy Trinity | Cork | Completion of interior. Red pine roof coloured to imitate oak. North window by Gibbs of London in memory of Daniel O'Connell. Opened Oct 1850 although not quite finished. |
1850-51;1869 | St. Marie's of the Isle Convent of Mercy | Sharman Crawford Street, Cork | New convent in First Pointed style; red stone with limestone dressings. FS laid 2 May 1850. Chapel added, 1869. |
1851 | Town Hall | Cork | Atkins & Johnson winners of competition with design costing about £14,000. Not Built. |
1852 | Great Southern Hotel | Railway Road, Killarney | Atkins & Johnson winners of competition, but building erected to designs of Frederick Darley |
1852-53 | Corn Exchange | Mulgrave Street, Limerick | Winner of competition (prize of £75). Butter weigh-house opened (3 compartments beneath glass dome), Jul 1854 |
1855 | Doneraile | Streamhill, Cork | For Cavanaugh Murphy. |
1855 | Ryves Castle | Limerick | Improvements for - Franks (cousin of Atkins) |
1855 | Lindville Private Lunatic Asylum | Blackwall, Limerick | Neo-Romanesque private lunatic asylum being erected on the Blackwall side of the river for Dr Osborne. Red brick with limestone dressings. |
1857 | Anner Castle | Tipperary | Completion of Charles Anderson's design after latter's emigration to USA in 1849. Date given as 1857 by Williams and as 1860s by Bence Jones. |
1857-1860 | Oakpark House | Kerry | Northern Italian Gothic, for Maurice Fitzgerald Sandes. |
1859 | Church of SS. Peter & Paul | SS. Peter & Paul Place | Competition entrant. Placed 3rd. |
1859 | McCarthy Memorial | Diamond Hill, Cork | Campanile column of limestone inset with encaustic tiling. Panels at base originally inset with bronze plaques, showing events in Irish history connected with McCarthy family. Bronze plaques on upper tier said to represent 4 of the kings of Munster from whom McCarthys descended. Seemingly erected by Alex McCarthy. |
1859 | Church of Holy Trinity | Muckross, Kerry | In course of erection 'for some time past'. Walls of Muckross red and white marble. Exterior not in character with beauty of the interior. Works executed under superintendence of Mr Lee. Expense of building and endowing church defrayed by Rt. Hon. Col. Henry Arthur Herbert and Admiral Sir Thomas Herbert. |
1860 | St. Andrew's Church | St Andrew's Street, Dublin | Competition entrant; exhibits design in 1861. |
1862 | Cathedral of St Finn Barre(CI) | Bishop, Cork | Competition Entrant |
1862 | Aghadoe House | Kerry | For 3rd Lord Headley. |
1868 | Church of St. Mary | Main Street, Killarney | New cruciform church (replacing church of 1802) with 3-bay nave, semicircular apse to seat 350. Estimated cost £8,000. FS laid 4 Aug 1868. Burnt 1888 and restored by J.F. Fuller. Contractor: James Hunter, Bandon. Drawing(s), signed and dated 1868 |
1868 | Church | Rooska, Cork | Proposed new church. Signed contract drawing(s), 1868 |
1869 | Town Hall & Municipal Offices | Victoria Street, Belfast | Competition entrant. |
1869-70 | Church of St. Nicholas | Cove Street, Cork | Addition of spire. For Rev. George Webster. Completed 31 Mar 1870. |
1873-1876 | District Lunatic Asylum (Our Lady's Hospital) | Lee Road, Cork | Enlargement and improvement (including hospitals and airing courts). Atkins prepares plans, 1873. Contractor: Robert Walker, Jr (£5,300). Atkins's plans, originally approved, rejected in May 1875 'owing it appears to some alterations made in them by Mr Atkins to whom they were referred for revision'. Atkins resigns, 1876, and W.H. Hill appointed to superintend completion of works in hand 'immediately'. Atkins paid £350. |
1881 | Church of St Michael & All Angels | Whitegate, Cork | Gothic, with wheel window in W. gable. Consecrated 23 Apr 1881. Contractor: Samuel Hill, Cork. |
References
[edit]- ^ The Architecture of Deane and Woodward, F. O'Dwyer (Dublin 1997).
- ^ Paul Clerkin. St. Mar'ys Priory. N.d. Photograph. archiseek.com, Cork, Ireland. Web. 8 Dec 2011. <http://archiseek.com/2009/1850-st-marys-priory-cork/>.
- ^ Paul Clerkin. Holy Trinity & Capuchin Monastery, Cork. N.d. Photograph. archiseek.com, Cork, Ireland. Web. 8 Dec 2011. <http://archiseek.com/2009/holy-trinity-capuchin-monastery-cork/>.
- ^ a b c d e Williams, Jeremy. 'William Atkins 1812-1887, a forgotten Cork Pre-Raphaelite'. 1992. Print. Retrieved 08 December 2011