John Henry Hirst (29 April 1826 – 6 July 1882) was an English architect who designed civic, commercial and domestic buildings, mainly in Bristol and Harrogate. He is known in Harrogate for the designs which he created for the developer George Dawson, including large Neoclassical buildings, and the Gothic Revival St Peter's Church. Several of those designs, such as Prospect Crescent, Cambridge Crescent, and St Peter's Church, are now listed buildings. He is known in his home town, Bristol, for various projects, notably the Neoclassical Stoke Road Drinking Fountain, which is also a listed building.
Hirst died unexpectedly at home in Bristol in circumstances which first appeared unclear, but the inquest found that he had fallen downstairs at some point in the night or early morning and broken his neck.
Background Hirst was born into a Yorkshire agricultural family. His paternal grandfather was Henry Hirst of Heckmondwike, West Riding of Yorkshire, who is buried in Westgate Congregational Chapelyard of that town. His father was Thomas Hirst who was a merchant, and then, from at least 1841, a farmer of Oakwood House, Wakefield. His mother was Hannah Hirst née Oates. Thomas and Hannah were married on 20 September 1824 at St Peter's Church, Birstall. They were both literate, having signed the marriage register. Hirst, the eldest of four male siblings, was born on 29 April 1826, in Heckmondwike. In 1841, Hirst was living with his parents and two brothers in Newton Lane End, Stanley, Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire. By 1851 he was describing himself as an architect in practice, and living at 9 Blenheim Square, Bristol, where he employed a housekeeper.
At Christ Church, Clifton Down, Bristol, on 29 April 1856 Hirst married Harriet Jane Wyld, daughter of William Hopton Wyld of Clifton, Bristol. The officiating priest was Rev. W. Battersby, Hirst's uncle. Hirst was then living at Brighton Park, Clifton. The Building News noted their large family; they had ten children, the first and last of whom died in infancy. They were Edward Battersby, architect Henry Cecil Montague F.R.I.B.A, Ethel Maude, Mildred Venables, Leila Mary, Bertram Fawcett, Reginald Arthur, Florence Charlesworth, Harriet Winifred, and Edith Carter. Hirst and his wife employed a governess for their children. By 1861 Hirst and his wife were living at 1 Brighton Park, Clifton, Bristol, with their first child Edward B. Hirst, a relative, and two servants. In 1871 the family was living at Avonhirst, Westbury on Trym with six of their children and two servants. Hirst had designed the house with a lodge for their gardener. The family was still at Avonhirst in 1881, where the census finds Hirst with his wife, six of their children, two visitors and three servants.
Career Hirst kept an office in Harrogate. Although he retained the Harrogate office to deal with work for his client George Dawson, he was based in or near Bristol for most of his working life. He was elected Associate of the Institution of British Architects (ARIBA) on 23 January 1854, and Fellow (FRIBA) on 4 March 1861. He was documented as an architect and surveyor between 1851 and 1881, although he was still working on new projects in 1882. He was the first surveyor to the West of England Building Society.
He designed buildings in the Neoclassical style, but would sometimes produce Gothic Revival designs. The Building News described Hirst as a "well-known and widely-esteemed architect", and a "straightforward, genuine Yorkshireman" who was "deservedly popular with all classes". For a while, Hirst designed works in the Bristol Byzantine style in Bristol in partnership with William Bruce Gingell, and also with Thomas Royse Lysaght.
Works in Weston-Super-Mare Royal Hotel, Weston-Super-Mare, c. 1850
This is a Grade II listed building. The hotel was originally built in 1808, but Hirst and Samuel Burleigh Gabriel substantially enlarged it around 1850. English Heritage describes it as, "a distinctive Italianate composition with ornate facades that have a high level of decorative detailing". Hirst and Gabriel also improved the posting and livery building in the courtyard to the north of the main hotel building. The hotel itself has cellars and three storeys. It has an entrance bay in the middle, and two long extensions either side of it, making the building symmetrical. The building has been much changed since 1850.
Works in Bristol The Building News said that Hirst was "connected with all the most important improvement schemes at Bristol, and his numerous buildings invariably exhibited taste and artistic skill". In 1868 his office was at Guildhall Chambers, Bristol. His office was subsequently at 30 Broad Street, Bristol. Between 1880 and 1882 he was working from 8 Small Street, Bristol, and from his home, Avonhirst.
Royal West of England Academy
This is a Grade II listed building. The façade was designed by Hirst in 1857.
Avonhirst and Towerhirst, Small Street, Bristol c.1867
Towerhirst is a Grade II listed building. Around 1867, Hirst built Avonhirst, in Small Street (now Seawalls Road), Bristol, as his own home, with another house, Towerhirst, next to it, and a semi-detached villa with 1.25 acres of land at 1 Sea Wall Villas, Sneyd Park. 1 Sea Wall Villas had a coach house, stable and yard. At point of sale, Towerhirst was described as "a castellated, Gothic, detached villa residence with coach house, stables, gardens an appurtenances" with half an acre of ground and an ornamental lodge. The gardens of all properties were laid out with trees, shrubs, fruit and lawns. Note that Historic England incorrectly credits Towerhirst to the architect's son, H.C.M. Hirst, and gives it a later date of 1891–1892, although J.H. Hirst completed it in 1867.
Close to this suburban idyll, on 18 May 1878, some demolition men were employed in removing the wreck of the steamer Gipsy which was blocking the River Avon. In order to separate the sternpost from the hull, they set an explosive charge so great that "the explosion was heard all over the city". The concussion shattered many windows nearby, and blew out the drawing-room windowglass at Avonhirst. The demolition had attracted an uncontrollable number of sightseers, so when pieces of metal were "hurled far and wide", at least one man was hospitalised.
When Avonhirst was advertised for sale or let in August 1882, a month after Hirst's death, its description was: "Exceptionally warm situation, suitable for invalids, commanding fine views of River Avon, with gardener's lodge, large fruit garden, vineries etc. and woods". Sales from Avonhirst's lodge at that time revealed that the garden had contained peafowl. The Building News described Avonhirst as "a beautiful villa upon one of the most romantic parts of the Avon's banks below Clifton", where he used it to "entertain a large circle of friends and acqaintances". Avonhirst still stands, and was sold for over £2 million in 2023.
Stoke Road Drinking Fountain, Bristol, 1877
This drinking fountain on Stoke Road, Bristol, is a Grade II listed building. It is intended for people and animals, was commissioned from Hirst by the Royal Bath and West of England Society, and paid for by its showground's entrance fees. It is made of granite, Portland stone, Bath stone, and iron. It is a rectangular structure, made mainly of Bath stone. The plinth is of Portland stone, and the dressings are of granite, Mansfield stone and Pennant stone. Historic England describes it as: "[a] large rectangular stele with a Pennant apron in front of the plinth with a granite basin, Mansfield moulding to a semicircular arch with a large key above the slate plaque; granite frieze with terracotta animal heads, heavy cornice and sloping top". It was the mayor of Bristol, George Edwards, who unveiled the fountain in 1877. The frieze features the heads of a cow, horse and bull, with rams' heads at each end; all made of painted cast iron, and fixed onto polished red granite. There is a red granite basin with a scallop-shell keystone above, for the main tap, and below are troughs for animals.
New road scheme, Bristol, before 1882 Not long before he died, Hirst "brought forward a scheme for constructing a new thoroughfare upon an easy gradient between Colston Street and the top of Park Street, and in connexion with which some rather extensive excavations were made opposite the New Theatre".
Almshouses, Bristol, 1882 On 21 April 1882, three months before his death, Hirst was calling for tenders for "the rebuilding of the Rev. Dr White's Almshouses for 36 inmates, between Temple Street and Temple Back", Bristol.
Works in Harrogate
Hirst ran an office in Harrogate, because between 1867 and 1882 he designed a large number of buildings there. The Building News commented, "He largely contributed to the architectural adornment of that thriving resort". The Harrogate Herald said that Hirst was "well-known in Harrogate as the designer of several of the noblest erections in the town".
Hirst's main client for the development of Harrogate was George Dawson. A readable copy of the article is here For Dawson he designed the following Harrogate projects: Vanderbilt Court as Dawson's home in Victoria Avenue, the wings of the Crown Hotel in Crescent Road, Cambridge Crescent and Prospect Crescent, St Peter's Church, the Victoria Park and West End Park developments, buildings in James Street, Montpelier Gardens, the Pump Room and Rink (since demolished), the Crown buildings in Cheltenham Square, and Cleveden with adjacent villas in Victoria Park.
Pump Room, Harrogate, 1869 Around 1869, Dawson built a new pump room designed by J.H. Hirst, near the Montpellier Quarter in Harrogate, but it was demolished in 1954.
Crown Hotel and Montpellier Estate, 1884–1870
This set includes the wings of the Crown Hotel and 1–3 Crown Place, all developed by George Dawson to designs by Hirst. 1–3 Crown Place are Grade II listed buildings. Historian Malcolm Neesam comments that, "the Crown's Georgian wings were removed and replaced by Hirst with a powerful pair of Italian Renaissance replacements that gave the building great character and nobility".
The Crown Place buildings were completed in 1884, as a commercial, 3-storey terrace with a gritstone ashlar frontage, slate roof and bracketed eaves. Between the shops are Corinthian columns, and above them are sash windows. Some of the shops have doorways with fanlights, and shop windows with moulded heads and keystones.
St Peter's Church, Harrogate, 1870–1871
This Gothic Revival building was a departure in design for Hirst, and he was "not essentially an ecclesiastical architect". Nevertheless, it is a Grade II listed building, intended to seat 1,000 worshippers at a cost of £10,000 () without the tower. The foundation stone was laid in April 1870, and before the building was quite finished it was consecrated on 10 September 1871 by Bishop Ryan. At the opening, Hirst presented the church with a "chaste marble screen". The Knaresborough Post said that the building, "situate in a commanding position ... will form a prominent and handsome addition to a locality which at present boasts some fine buildings".
After the consecration there was a "magnificent déjeuner" for fifty of the more important attendees at the Prospect Hotel, at which Hirst was one of those who responded to the many toasts. In the afternoon a separate dinner at the George Hotel was arranged for forty of the workmen who had constructed the edifice and their employers. Again there were many toasts, including one congratulating Hirst as architect, and God Save the Queen was sung when the event ended at eight o' clock.