From a letter written to Sir John Keane on July 30th 1913 comes this design for a new pedimented porch leading off the drawing room at Cappoquin House, County Waterford. The architect responsible, Page L Dickinson, came up with several proposals for this project which was intended to replace a 19th century wooden structure the style of which was unsympathetic to the main building. As he explains to his client, ‘The introduction of two columns inside the central piers reduces this opening to the same size as the others, & also makes more of a feature of the centre.’ Indeed it does, and so the design was accepted and executed just before the outbreak of the first World War, and the burning of Cappoquin ten years later. Thankfully the house was subsequently restored, and Dickinson’s addition remains intact.
How satisfying to see the feature progress from an enthusiastic planning sketch to the realm of the dignified survivor. Lovely post
Thank you, yes it is a delight, and also a great improvement of what was there before…
The history of the Cappoquin House is a matter of opinion and fact. To me and my ancestors, it is a symbol of British occupation and dominance. I am proud of the fact that it was nearly destroyed by fire at a time of Irish rebellion that eventually lead to Irish independence. My family was brutally thrown out of their home and off of their land just north of Cappoquin during a famine in the early 1860’s. Tell the whole story, not just a glamorous marketing piece.
Thank you for your comment but your attitude towards Cappoquin House is wrong. Who do you suppose was responsible for designing and constructing this and many other such buildings: Irish men and Irishwomen. Who were the architects, plasterers, woodworkers, painters, decorators and others whose exceptional talents are visible in a house such as this: Irish men and Irishwomen. I am sorry you despise what they did but some of us recognise we have a duty to cherish the outstanding workmanship our ancestors bequeathed future generations, not seek to destroy it. Shame on you for having so little respect for our forebears’ labour and for taking pride in its destruction.