Uncovered at Susannah Place

During extensive conservation work at Susannah Place, previously hidden elements of the four terrace houses were revealed. These discoveries tell us more about how these mid-19th-century homes were built, decorated and adapted.

Front doors revealed

For the conservation architect to assess the condition of the front doors, the deteriorated masonite sheeting was carefully removed, revealing the original 1840s six-panelled doors beneath. Based on historical photographs, we believe that the doors were covered in masonite sometime between 1948 and 1960.

To weatherproof the original 1840s doors, new painted masonite sheeting was attached, together with the existing fittings, including house numbers and doorknobs. View 3D scans of the doors in the interactive models below.

Intriguing glimpses of old shop signage

Work on regrouting the sections of failed render on the splay wall of the corner shop revealed the letter ‘R’ perfectly preserved below one section of render. Conservators were engaged to determine how best to protect the powdery black paint (possibly distemper, a handmade paint with a slightly uneven finish) lettering before new render was applied.

In a two-step process, the paint was stabilised using a conservation-grade collagen-based adhesive solution and then covered with a layer of Japanese tissue paper. Before this work was carried out, the lettering was photographed and scanned.

The temporary removal of a timber frame around the western shop window also revealed remnants of 19th-century signage painted directly onto the brickwork. 

The faint lettering hints at the many layers of the shop’s history and indicateshow shopkeepers advertised their business to passers-by. Photographs dating from around 1900 show the large painted signage advertising ‘P Stewart Cheap Cash Grocer’ on the rear of the building.

From 1903, Hugo Youngein was living in number 64 and running the business, his name proudly painted above the doorway to the shop. On the Gloucester Street facade, more painted signage lists some of the goods available in his shop: tobacco, cigars and ‘summer drinks’. It also invites people to ‘ask for green coupons’ – an early-20th-century customer loyalty scheme.

The rich histories of these modest terrace houses are explored in intimate guided tours at Susannah Place.