I remember a huge house on Palm Grove between Devonshire Road and Grosvenor Road. Does anyone remember what it was called? I seem to have 'Montana' in my mind, but that might have been somewhere else. Does anyone have any history of the family who lived there and why and when it was demolished? Any photos? I remember walking down there on dark evenings in the late 60s and early 70s. It was a very long frontage and quite spooky.
Chandos Montana perhaps?
This brick came from a house in Palm Grove, Claughton, Birkenhead called "Chandos Montana". It was a large Victorian house built in 1855/6 for the railway contractor Thomas Brassey. The architect was Charles Verelst of Liverpool & Birkenhead. The builders were John & William Walker, who came from Edinburgh in the 1820's and by the 1850's were the leading builders in the town. The brick is of "Lancashire" size (4 courses to 13.5 or 14 inches) and was recovered when the house was demolished in the autumn of 1982. James J Whittingham was a Birkenhead based merchant and agent in the 1850s and it is thought that he had bricks manufactured for him with his business name stamped on. As yet I have been unable to find out details of the supplier. Photo and info by David Kitching.
SOURCE:
https://www.brocross.com/Bricks/Penmorfa/Pages/england22a.htmThe date of demolition ties up with 1988 when planning permission was granted for vacant land at 17 and 19 Palm Grove (which are the correct numbers for the old property) the property now there is number 23.
Around the 1900s it was the Mary Allen Ladies School at 17 and 19. Other years show separate residents.
The 1911 directory and census has,
17 Palm Grove, "Montana", 18rooms, William Timmis.
19 Palm Grove, "Chandos", 11rooms, Alphonse Kruger, Flour Merchant.
1900 Directory,
17 to 19, Palm Grove, Buckingham House Ladies School, Miss Margaret Gibson, Principal.
1938 directory and 1939 Register,
17 Palm Grove "Montana" George L Jones, Merchant.
19 Palm Grove "Chandos" approx 6 Flats.
Liverpool Mercury, 28 June, 1856.
"In Palm Grove Mr Brassey has recently finished 2 fine dwellings, the rental being about £130 per year each."
Thank you bert1 and diggingdeeper, that's really helpful. I didn't realise there were 2 properties there. The wall was very high and I don't remember seeing much. I remember the red brick. I don't suppose anyone took any photos of the building before it was demolished? I seem to remember some large steps.
Thanks. That's wonderful. I knew it was very big. How sad that it was demolished.
I love buildings with water towers but they were a nightmare to maintain with old tanks trying to leak or worse still burst when frozen in winter. I've seen a picture of a similar house with a huge buildup of ice on the side of the tower all the way down to the ground from a leak, it looked beautiful but I pitied the owner.
Interesting topic thanks, there's quite a few nice large properties still left in that area.
