1880 – ‘Beauchene’, Fitzjohn Avenue, Hampstead, London

Architect: George Lethbridge

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George Lethbridge was born in 1847 or 1848. He served his articles with William Henry Reid of Plymouth and commenced independent practice in London in 1870. He was presumably related to James Morton Lethbridge (d.1943). George died on 27 February 1924 in Highgate, London.

“This house is now in course of erection for Mr. L. St. Casella, from the designs and under the superintendence of the architect, Mr. George Lethbridge, A.K.I.B.A., of 7, Draper’s Gardens, E.G., the builder being Mr. William Brass, of Old-street, E.G. The house is faced with red brick, with carved brick panels, and all ornamental parts are of rubbed and gauged red brick. Sills are of Corsehill stone. The house has been planned with great attention to internal comfort and convenience, and contains on the basement floor the usual domestic offices, servants’ hall, housekeeper’s room, and servants’ bath-room. Second floor contains large hall, vestibule, portico, dining, drawing, and billiard – rooms, serving-pantry and store-room, cloak- room, lavatory, and w.c. First floor— 4 bed- rooms, dressing-room, fitted with fixed washbasins, bath-room with walls lined with tiles, and fitted with glazed earthenware bath, housemaid’s closet, fitted with slop-closet, &c., in white marble, linen-room, and two w.c.’s. Second floor — day and night nurseries, with open- timbered roofs, with store-room adjoining, fitted with sink, &c., nurse’s dressing-room, housemaid’s closet, w.c, and four servants’ bedrooms. Rooms for boxes and water-cisterns are provided in roof, which is covered with boarding and felt, and Broscloy tiles. Servants’ stairs are formed in Portland stone, the principal staircase being of wood, richly moulded. A lift is provided with communication to each floor. Each room is provided with special means of ventilation, and the halls, passages, and stair- cases, and billiard-room, and cloak-room, are heated by hot-water-coils. All partitions arc of brick, carried on iron girders ; all joiners’ work is to be of pitch-pine, stained and varnished. Staircase window, screen in hall, and upper portion of windows of principal rooms arc to be glazed with stained glass.” Design published in The Building News, July 30th 1880.