Description

798-1/0/10223 FITZJOHN'S AVENUE
16-OCT-02 86A
Fitzjohn's Primary School

II

Primary school. 1856-58 by William Munt for the Soldiers' Daughters' Home, Hampstead. Kentish rag with Bath stone dressings, tiled roof.
PLAN: rectangular main block with a gabled extension to rear and a tower at the north-west corner; attached block to the south. Site falls away to the east.
EXTERIOR: Main block is double-height over extensive cellars; administrative block to south of three storeys. Main range comprises a five-bay front with buttresses and a central canted bay. To left, a two-storey tower with broached spire, with entrance porch to ground floor, two-light window to first. To right, entrance porch reached via a flight of steps, with a shallow arch beneath a pedimental parapet. Windows consist of trefoil-headed lights set within stone surrounds and mullions: those to the administrative block retain their ornamental cast iron glazing bars and leading, those to main block largely plain-glazed. Modillion cornice to eaves and tower. Administrative block, with openwork parapet in front, is reached via stairs: twin-light windows to each floor: those to basement are plain rectangular; two-light windows with straight, moulded frames to raised ground floor; trefoil-headed to upper floor within arched surrounds. Flank elevation to administration block with a pair of projecting chimney breasts, single light windows to centre. Rear elevation, raised on an arcaded undercroft, comprises a projecting central range with buttresses to the corners: five-light window to gabled east end, three-light windows to sides. Modern extension in south-east angle, with inserted velux lights above. Five-light window to south end of main block. North flank elevation has a three-light window to gabled eastern section, paired lights to centre of ground floor, with two single light windows to upper section behind; tower with slatted belfry openings.
INTERIOR: main school room (sub-divided) has an elaborate open scissor-trussed roof, springing from moulded corbels. Two subsidiary classrooms also with scissor-trussed roofs. Deal boarding to lower walls. Administrative block retains its staircase, joinery, chimney-pieces to all rooms.
HISTORY: this was built as the school house, with teachers' accommodation attached, serving the (Royal) Soldiers' Daughters' Home, a military orphanage founded in 1855 by Major Powys. The residential block (demolished) stood to the east. The premises were opened by HRH Prince Albert in June 1858. The architect, William Munt, specialised in hotels and military buildings: he was also the designer of the Grenadier Guards Hospital, Rochester Row, Westminster (1859). The present primary school took over the premises in c.1954. The school has an interesting philanthropic history, is a good example of Gothic Revival school design, and retains an impressive interior.

SOURCES: Illustrated London News, 12 June 1858, 599-601 (illus.) and 26 June 1858, 638; The Times 19 June 1858.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Fitzjohn's Primary School at Wikipedia
• Fitzjohn's Primary School official website
• Wikidata Q15217821

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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