After two years of steady growth and multiple office-hopping around Urban Splash's Ducie House I've just moved my company in to the second floor of Virginia House on Great Ancoats St (it has the Artzu gallery on the ground floor).

I hope this isn't considered a bit 'Me-me-me!' but I wondered if anyone could shed any light on the origins of my new building or give me any intriguing snippets of information about it?

It's not the most amazing building but it's a sweet enough little portland stone number and we have a really nice herring-bone parquet floor right across the room. It was previously owned and managed by Artisan as part of there Ancoats masterplan but is now in the hands of a private landlord

I know a bit about the refurbed Crown and Kettle next door (great ceiling, criminal refurb) as my dad was a journo back in the day, and about the mighty Express building on the other side for similar reasons (I once had a Saturday job there at the Sunday Sport) but I currently know nothing about my own building.

The name and period make me think cotton? The cliched showroom with offices above perhaps?

Any interesting stories or potted historys much appreciated.

Cheers

Thom

Thom - I'm surprised somebody hasn't jumped in already and told you about it. My memory about which building is which is usually a bit vague, but I looked at Virginia House a few weeks ago and remember thinking what a good restoration it was.

I don't think it's Victorian, it's slightly later.....Edwardian 1901-1910...?

Maybe the name Virginia House gives its original use away (as in the US state), possibly built for a firm of cotton importers/mill owners?

Anyway, without seeing the building, I'm guessing. I don't think it has anything to do with the Express Building, which as far as know, that was the only newspaper place built on Great Ancoats St.

I actually think its a bit later than that. Some of the detailing and the use of faince lead me to think it is actually 1920's. The typeface of 'VIRGINIA HOUSE' is also quite period.
I'm seeing some of my heritage nazi mates today so i'll ask them if they know anything because to be honest i dont know anything about it and there is nothing in the books.

Thanks for the feedback chaps.

I actually love this little stretch of Great Ancoats St. The Crown and Kettle, then Virginia House, then The Express Building then that funny Edwardian building and the Hudson Building all in a row are an exciting and strangely satisfying jumble of styles and sizes.

Which is partly what city's are all about I guess, and certainly fits in with the eclectic heritage of the ever-expanding Northern Quarter (though technically I think I'm straddling the New Cross/Ancoats divide).

Cheers

Thom

It was even better before the 1930's furniture shop (that would have made great flats) was demolished so that fantastic bit of architecture could be built.....
...oh wait........ nothing has been built has it?
Who are the developers does anyone know? :lol:

http://www.images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=45995

Ohhh that would have been nice.

Was that still standing (at least as a tumble-down shell) until fairly recently? Last five years or so maybe, as I remember them clearing a site around there not so long ago.

A pity as you say, it would have continued the run of fine facades, at least until it hit that run of eye-wateringly bad red brick apartments (you know, the ones with the defunct organic shop).

I was also sad when they knocked down the Dancing Weasel, as it had one of the silliest pub names in town.

On a pub tip the guy from the Comedy Store is taking over The King on Oldham St (officially the 'roughest pub in town (tm) ). A snip at £50k for the lease.

Expect gastro-bar a go-go in the not to distant.

Cheers

Thom

From this photo it looks like Virginia House was a bank or insurance office as apposed to your warehouse theory Thom.

http://www.images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=45994

Interesting fact trivia fans. That small building to the right was an early factory of Swallow Sidecars which later became Jaguar.

Interesting fact trivia fans. That small building to the right was the original home of Jaguar cars which not many people realise started in Manchester as a coach builders.

Really? Oh God, add that to the list of emigrant businesses then....Rolls Royce, Top of the Pops, The Guardian and now Jaguar! Tsk....

Cool pics Longford.

You're right, looking at it again in the cold light of day it does look particularly bank-ish.

Cheers

Thom

I actually think its a bit later than that. Some of the detailing and the use of faince lead me to think it is actually 1920's. The typeface of 'VIRGINIA HOUSE' is also quite period.
I'm seeing some of my heritage nazi mates today so i'll ask them if they know anything because to be honest i dont know anything about it and there is nothing in the books.

I agree with Longford - though perhaps I would date it into the early 1930s

- it isn't Portland Stone, but faience (buff glazed terracotta). Inset bronze panels.
- the style is Egyptian - in common with a lot of buildings of this date on Oldham Street.
- for the above reasons, probably not a bank (see the Habib Bank across the way, for how bankers liked their buildings). It has no night safe. I would suggest an insurance company or building society. Given the name, I would look for a "Virginia Assurance" or similar.

as for an architect, it is very like a lot of buildings on this date - but both better designed and better detailed. Close too I am reminded of Sunlight House (1932) - I wonder whether this may be a work from Sunlight's office. He tended to be preferred by Jewish clients, and "Virginia" is the sort of unspecific aspirational name that Jewish entrepeneurs of the time tended to favour.

Nerd, that's genuinely fascinating, thanks.

I have to say that although the space we inhabit is great (if a little tatty), the location handy and the tenancy very favourable I was at least partly won over by the fact Virginia House is such a pretty little building.

I appreciate 'pretty little building' isn't the most technical architectural vernacular but it just looks pleasingly neat and 'complete' for such a small building and it more than holds it's own in a fairly mixed-up streetscape. Kind of makes you feel all proud when you approach it in the morning or look back as you lock up at night.

From my relatively uneducated opinion I'm glad to hear other people see things to admire in the place too as nobody I know seems to have taken any notice of the building previously. They only register the location when I reference Artzu or the Express Building ("You know, the big black glass one", "Oh, yeah...").

As regards the Jewish connection that would make sense. Jewish money had bought or paid for most of the property in this end of town in the first half of this century, and much of it (including Virginia House itself) remains so.

Cheers to everyone for the feedback. More than I expected.

Thanks

Thom