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Historic home of Titanic shipyard founder razed to the ground
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
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Residents last night spoke of their “absolute shock” after the historical homes of Gustav Wolff — of Harland and Wolff fame — which they fought to save, were demolished.
The two 19th century cottages in east Belfast were last summer spot listed by the Environmental Heritage Service (EHS) after a campaign was launched to prevent their destruction.
Hundreds of letters, emails and phonecalls were made by the group of the Palmerston Residents' Association in the nine-month battle.
But yesterday Terry Hoey, chairman of Palmerston Residents' Association, found the two unique cottages in the Station Road area had been razed to the ground.
Mr Wolff, one of Belfast's most famous adopted sons, set-up home along the Palmerston Road living on an estate called the Den while spearheading the most famous shipyard in the world.
After decades of development all that was left of his estate were the two cottages.
Mr Hoey said: “We fought to get a preservation order—and we got it last year. This is just a scandal. We are devastated that such buildings with historical value are destroyed for development. We had plans to develop them into a museum.
“Now there is nothing left but rubble. The people who are really missing out are the children, who will never get to see these buildings in their full glory. If this continues all of the area's history will be wiped out,” he added.
A spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) said they were aware the historic buildings, previously the subject of a Building Preservation Notice (BPN), were demolished.
But she added the notice which temporarily protected the buildings for six months expired on 16 January and the owner required no consent to carry out the works.
A spokeswoman added: “For a period of up to six months the buildings can be protected as listed buildings, giving the agency time to carry out research and consultation. At the end of the period NIEA must decide if the structures should be permanently listed.
“This process was carried out in regard to these buildings and following detailed research it was decided that they did not meet the test of the legislation which requires a listed building to be of ‘special architectural or historic interest’.”
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Pity. If you should find yourself in Dún Laoghaire Co Dublin you may notice a monument called The Queen Victoria Fountain erected to commemorate the visit of the Queen of England to that town in 1904. It represents a true historical event, and is reminds us that for good or for bad, Ireland and the Irish were once subjugated to the writ of the English crown, a historical fact. And therein we come to understand the function of such memorials; they make us reflect, they remind us, they give us a perspective on our history and of ourselves for those who dare to think. Destroying such monuments denies us this chance...
Posted by An Sionnach | 21.01.09, 14:24 GMT
the house of gustav wolff as far as i know was not owned by him anymore but by someone unconnected to him,maybe he was not interested in titanic,it seems to me that a few people in belfast are interested in titanic but not everyone,the shipyard still uses the name of H and w but in reality is owned by a Norwegian.I started the first titanic society in N.Ireland called the shannon Ulster titanic society,many people were interested more in the name shannon,than the society for many reasons which people in northern ireland would know without my explanation,the story of titanic takes on a different meaning in ulster than in the wider story in the world,because of the political and racial and religious connotations,there are so many people connected to the titanic story and belfast has spent lots of money to persue the story, public money,has been spent and apparently more money planned to be spent,to have kept this house would it have been viable?
Posted by patrick.j.toms | 21.01.09, 12:04 GMT
PMcC "It's the attitude of the likes of Tom that stops NI really 'moving on'"
Nonsense mate. There are Tom's stuck in the past, dotted all around the globe.
We move on inspite of his ilk. If/when he wishes to join us, he will. The invitation will always be there should he wish to embrace it.
Posted by mickey | 21.01.09, 10:01 GMT
A few quotes for you from an historical book on H&W
"At the bottom were the semi-skilled and unskilled, looked down on by all. They were mostly employed casually, and were not even protected by trade unions, which existed in Belfast to protect the interests of skilled men. Yet even the unskilled men saw themselves as privileged, better off than Catholics."
"The shipyard workers identified with a Protestant state for a Protestant people. In the 1920s, Catholic workers were expelled from the shipyards."
"After a particularly violent summer in 1856, Rev Hugh Hanna preached a series of public sermons showing Catholics the errors of their ways. The group that protected Rev Hanna from the nationalist mob was made up of shipwrights from the yard, armed with staves"
Classy place. Why o why should catholic money (among others) pay for the upkeep and glorification of anyone associated with this bigotted rabble.
Posted by Tom | 21.01.09, 08:31 GMT
" forget all these symbols of sectarianism and partition" - Tom.
Good god! a short visit to the Telegraph website confirms why I don't live in such a myopic, divided little backwater! So by that rational Liverpool's Three Graces should be razed to the ground (built with slave money) ...demolish Glasgow's Museum of Modern Art (ditto slave money) ...flatten the Bank Or Ireland in Dublin (evil symbol of colonialism) ...nuke The Palace of Versaille (built on the blood of evil oppression of the pre - revolutionary french peasants)...As for that Roman Coliseum, symbol of slavery, oppression and imperialism?!
Politiking history and revisionism - A Northern Ireland specialism! I'd just love to live in Tom's historically appropriate city where there are no symbols of evil oppression and partition...well according to Tom that is!
Posted by AD Crawford | 20.01.09, 21:51 GMT
Appalled to see these historic houses reduced to a pile of rubble.
Also appalled by the ignorant comments of Tom and al. It's the attitude of the likes of Tom that stops NI really 'moving on' (as he claims he wants to do). Oh, and in case you hadn't noticed Tom, they have knocked (most of) the shipyard down!
As for al, is he waiting for the City Hall to be demolished before he thinks we've gone too far?! I'd agree that the legacy of H&W is starting to take shape in the Titanic Quarter, but surely you don't obliterate anything to do with the Titanic / H&W, just because it's outside that specific area?
I think it's a shameful decision by the NIEA but not unexpected (Red Hall on the Circular Road beng another historical site flattened a few years ago - no doubt Craigavon House won't be around for too much longer either).
Posted by PMcC | 20.01.09, 21:43 GMT
What else do you expect in a region filled with Spanish bungalows and Eastern bloc style appartments which looks a like a little bit more developed post communist era Tbilisi than Western Europe. Political progress is achieved by the bargained destruction of the education system compensated for the other sides destruction of the rural areas for so called farmers to build more bungalows for their offspring, possibly to be sold onward in the future no doubt! As for Tom's contribution, symptomatic of the problem, just a very underdeveloped brain which will hopefully develop to current Western levels in future generations if we believe in Darwin's theories.
Posted by Sean | 20.01.09, 21:41 GMT
Tom, can you explain to everyone how you have come to the conclusion that Gustav Wolff's home is a symbol of sectarianism and partitian?
Posted by Roy | 20.01.09, 21:00 GMT
There will always be people who put there own interests first. They should be made to reconstruct replicates in there place.
joef
Posted by joe | 20.01.09, 20:52 GMT
i expect nothing less than bitter comments from you Bored
Posted by Tom | 20.01.09, 15:33 GMT
i expect nothing less than bitter comments from you tom
Posted by Bored | 20.01.09, 14:41 GMT
will all be forgotten about in a couple of days...it wasn't exactly the city hall they demolished. If you want to witness a proper tribute to progress, and to the legacy of H&W take a walk through the titanic quarter..
Posted by al | 20.01.09, 14:03 GMT
It was the correct decision to knock these buldings down, they should knock the shipyard down next as we should try and forget all these symbols of sectarianism and partition. It is time to move on.
Posted by Tom | 20.01.09, 14:00 GMT
So the cottage of one of the founders of NI's most historic business, which built the Titanic, is not of "special historic interest"? Unbelievable. Heads should roll over this decision.
Posted by Darryn | 20.01.09, 13:28 GMT
I didnt realise they existed either! Such a huge piece of history gone just like that! Big shame and I'm sorry I never even saw them!
Posted by Reidy | 20.01.09, 13:28 GMT
Does this surprise anyone - when we all know 'developers' (or destroyers as I prefer to call them) are in the pockets of our MLA's. You only have to look at what's happening in Portrush/Portstewart for examples of mass demolition and what it's done to these once fine towns.
Posted by Donegore | 20.01.09, 12:58 GMT
I didn't know these cottages existed, but I am disgusted to hear that they are now gone. What a shame. Credit to those who tried to save them though.
Posted by David | 20.01.09, 12:12 GMT