Newcomen Bank

Newcomen Bank is a former Georgian bank building and private residence on the junction of Cork Hill, Lord Edward Street and Castle Street, designed by architect Thomas Ivory in 1781 with the assistance of James Hoban.[1][2]

Newcomen Bank
General information
StatusOffice
TypeHouse
Architectural styleGeorgian
Neoclassical
Town or cityDublin
CountryIreland
Coordinates53.3438702°N 6.2677291°W / 53.3438702; -6.2677291
Estimated completion1781
OwnerDublin City Council
Technical details
MaterialPortland stone
Floor count5 over basement
Design and construction
Architect(s)Thomas Ivory and James Hoban (1781), William Caldbeck (1856-62)
DeveloperSir William Gleadowe-Newcomen, 1st Baronet

The building was constructed and named for the Newcomen family.

History

The banking business was established in 1745 and after the business collapsed in 1825, the building was later acquired by the Hibernian bank. The Hibernian bank was itself taken over by the Bank of Ireland in 1958.[3][4][5][6]

Following the collapse of Newcomen bank and several other banks in the city in the 1820s, the Newcomen family and several other prominent families were financially ruined leading to Thomas Gleadowe-Newcomen, 2nd Viscount Newcomen shooting himself in his office either at the bank or at his residence at Killester House on 15 January 1825.[7][8]

Building

The building was constructed as a private residence in a neo-classical Georgian style in 1781 and faced in white portland stone. It was located opposite some of Dublin's most notable buildings including the Royal Exchange, Dublin Castle, La Touche Bank (1730s - 1946) and Burton's Bank in what was then a prestigious location.[9][10]

Some of the interior stucco work was carried out by Vincent Waldré while the sculptor Simon Vierpyl was also involved in completing elements of the friezes throughout the building.

Further works were later carried out by William Caldbeck at the bank between 1856-62 doubling the Cork Hill bowed frontage and adding an Ionic portico also in matching portland stone.[11]

The northern end gable was added by Dublin Corporation architect Daniel J Freeman in 1884.

The bank was acquired by Dublin Corporation in 1886 and was later usually referred to as the rates office.[12] It remained in use as the rates office until the early 2000s.

As of 2023, it is planned to restore the building for use as a multipurpose events and conferencing space.[13][14]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Newcomen Bank.

References
  1. "CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CASTLE STREET, NO. 016 (NEWCOMEN'S BANK) Dictionary of Irish Architects -". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  2. "Dublin City Council, 16 Cork Hill, Castle Street/Lord Edward Street, Dublin 2, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  3. "CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CASTLE STREET, NO. 016 (HIBERNIAN BANK, FORMERLY NEWCOMEN'S BANK) Dictionary of Irish Architects -". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. "Dublin City Architects Blog — THE FORMER NEWCOMEN BANK (Dublin City Council Rates Office)". Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  5. "JOURNAL ARTICLE Wildcat bankers or political failure? The Irish financial pantomime, 1797–1826". academic.oup.com. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  6. Barrow, G. L. (1972). "Some Dublin Private Banks". Dublin Historical Record. pp. 38–53. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  7. Dungan, Myles (15 January 2016). "On This Day – Drivetime – 15.1.1825 Suicide of banker Thomas Newcomen". Myles Dungan. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  8. "The lonely Thomas Gleadowe-Newcomen". Come Here To Me!. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  9. "Dublin City Architects Blog — THE FORMER NEWCOMEN BANK (Dublin City Council Rates Office)". Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  10. "1730s – La Touche Bank, Cork Hill, Dublin | Archiseek - Irish Architecture". 9 June 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  11. "Dublin City Council, 16 Cork Hill, Castle Street/Lord Edward Street, Dublin 2, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  12. "Plans for €9m redevelopment of historic Newcomen Bank in Dublin". Independent.ie. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  13. "Newcomen Bank | Dublin City Council". www.dublincity.ie. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  14. "Howley Hayes Cooney". www.hhcarchitecture.ie. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
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