User:Shard47/William Atkins (architect)

William Ringrose Atkins (1811–1887) was an Irish architect of the Victorian era.

William R. Atkins
Born	William Ringrose Atkins 1811 Cork, Ireland
Died	1887 Cork, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	Architect
Parents	Ringrose Atkins (father) Sarah Atkins (mother)

A native of Cork, William R. Atkins is an architect whose fame has been lost to posterity, although in 1846 he received one of the largest public commissions in Cork city, to build the city and county asylum. This was a commission received from the Board of Works, and was being angled for at the time by the more established Cork architect Thomas Deane who was then engaged in the building of Queen's College Cork. Built in a revival Gothic style, 1846-53, this is popularly held to have the longest corridor in all of Europe - it is now converted into modern apartments. He also received the first prize for a design for a new town hall for Cork in 1851, although this was never built.

Early Life and Career

File:Holytrinity interior lge.jpg

Interior of the Holy Trinity & Capuchin Monastery, Cork designed by Atkins after the death of the original architect George Richard Pain.

File:St marys popesquay priory2 lge.jpg

St Mary's Priory by Atkins, showcasing his usage of classical and Victorian Gothic Architecture.

William Atkins was the fourth son of Ringrose Atkins, MD, and Sarah Atkins (daughter and co-heiress of William Atkins of Fountainville, Mallow, Co. Cork) was born at Firville, near Mallow, roughly around 1812. His father's youngest sister Margaret was the second wife of George Richard Pain , to whom he was apprenticed. In 1831 a drawing by Atkins was judged the second best architectural drawing in the exhibition of the Cork Society for Promoting the Fine Arts; his premium was, however, withheld. The drawing in question may have been the 'Design for a Temple to the Fine Arts' which he exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy the following year. Between 1845 and 1869 Atkins entered at least thirteen architectural competitions, achieving the rank of first place in five of them. Two of his successful designs - for Cork Town Hall and Killarney Railway Hotel, both of 1852 - were produced in collaboration with another architect. In the second half of the 1860s he designed several new Church of Ireland churches in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel, which suggests that he may have been a district architect for the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in this period.

In 1845 Atkins married his cousin Louisa Gelston (1812-1904). Two years later he inherited half the estate of his maternal grandfather William Atkins at Fountainville. He farmed the property until 1854.

Death and Legacy

He died on 5 January 1887, at age 76, leaving a widow, three sons and a daughter and an estate of £5000 in Ireland and £500 in England. His pupils and assistants included Samuel Francis Hynes and Edward James Martin.

Estates

11 Morrison's Island, Cork, 1842-44;(8) Bridge Street, Cork, 1854;(9) 6 Adelaide Place, Cork, 1858-1860;(10) 22 Warren's Place, Cork, 1863;(11) 39 South Mall, and 6 Adelaide Place, St Luke's, 1867.(12) 39 South Mall, 1871.(13)

Works

Year	Building	Location (Ireland)	Description or Contribution
1843-45	Leamy's School	Upper Hartstonge Street, Limerick	Competed for plans and specifications for new school announced in Mar 1843. Plans of WA for Tudor Revival building selected. Contractor: Joseph Fogerty, Henry St.
1845	County Court House	Gort Road, Ennis, Clare	Atkins was a competition entrant, but competition won by Henry Whitestone.
1845	Mount Jerome Cemetery, Chapel	Harold's Cross Road, Dublin	Winner of Competition
1847-1852; 1861	District Lunatic Asylum (Our Lady's Hospital)	Lee Road, Cork	Chief Architect. New asylum in 'First Pointed' style. Begun 1849. Opened 1852 when accommodation was for 250 men and 250 women. Cost £87,000. Extended 1861,1873.(Robert Walker contractor for 1873 extension) Atkins resigns in 1876 as a result of dispute with Board.
1848-1852	St. Mary's Dominican Priory	Pope's Quay, Cork	Italianate with campanile 100ft high. Cork Red sandstone with limestone dressings.. FS laid 2 May 1848. In course of erection, 1850, when Builder correspondent opined that a 'Flemish-looking gable takes from the general effect produced by the rest of the façade'. Described as 'newly erected', Aug 1851. Contractor for interior: Cornelius O'Leary.
1849	Church(CI)	Castlecomer, Kilkenny	Restoration
1849	St. Columbia College	College Road, Dublin	Atkins was the executant architect who carried out the additions and alterations following the design of Mr P.C. Hardwick as nearly as possible.
1850	Church of Holy Trinity	Cork	Completion of interior. Red pine roof coloured to imitate oak. North window by Gibbs of London in memory of Daniel O'Connell. Opened Oct 1850 although not quite finished.
1850-51;1869	St. Marie's of the Isle Convent of Mercy	Sharman Crawford Street, Cork	New convent in First Pointed style; red stone with limestone dressings. FS laid 2 May 1850. Chapel added, 1869.
1851	Town Hall	Cork	Atkins & Johnson winners of competition with design costing about £14,000. Not Built.
1852	Great Southern Hotel	Railway Road, Killarney	Atkins & Johnson winners of competition, but building erected to designs of Frederick Darley
1852-53	Corn Exchange	Mulgrave Street, Limerick	Winner of competition (prize of £75). Butter weigh-house opened (3 compartments beneath glass dome), Jul 1854
1855	Doneraile	Streamhill, Cork	For Cavanaugh Murphy.
1855	Ryves Castle	Limerick	Improvements for - Franks (cousin of Atkins)
1855	Lindville Private Lunatic Asylum	Blackwall, Limerick	Neo-Romanesque private lunatic asylum being erected on the Blackwall side of the river for Dr Osborne. Red brick with limestone dressings.
1857	Anner Castle	Tipperary	Completion of Charles Anderson's design after latter's emigration to USA in 1849. Date given as 1857 by Williams and as 1860s by Bence Jones.
1857-1860	Oakpark House	Kerry	Northern Italian Gothic, for Maurice Fitzgerald Sandes.
1859	Church of SS. Peter & Paul	SS. Peter & Paul Place	Competition entrant. Placed 3rd.
1859	McCarthy Memorial	Diamond Hill, Cork	Campanile column of limestone inset with encaustic tiling. Panels at base originally inset with bronze plaques, showing events in Irish history connected with McCarthy family. Bronze plaques on upper tier said to represent 4 of the kings of Munster from whom McCarthys descended. Seemingly erected by Alex McCarthy.
1859	Church of Holy Trinity	Muckross, Kerry	In course of erection 'for some time past'. Walls of Muckross red and white marble. Exterior not in character with beauty of the interior. Works executed under superintendence of Mr Lee. Expense of building and endowing church defrayed by Rt. Hon. Col. Henry Arthur Herbert and Admiral Sir Thomas Herbert.
1860	St. Andrew's Church	St Andrew's Street, Dublin	Competition entrant; exhibits design in 1861.
1862	Cathedral of St Finn Barre(CI)	Bishop, Cork	Competition Entrant
1862	Aghadoe House	Kerry	For 3rd Lord Headley.
1868	Church of St. Mary	Main Street, Killarney	New cruciform church (replacing church of 1802) with 3-bay nave, semicircular apse to seat 350. Estimated cost £8,000. FS laid 4 Aug 1868. Burnt 1888 and restored by J.F. Fuller. Contractor: James Hunter, Bandon. Drawing(s), signed and dated 1868
1868	Church	Rooska, Cork	Proposed new church. Signed contract drawing(s), 1868
1869	Town Hall & Municipal Offices	Victoria Street, Belfast	Competition entrant.
1869-70	Church of St. Nicholas	Cove Street, Cork	Addition of spire. For Rev. George Webster. Completed 31 Mar 1870.
1873-1876	District Lunatic Asylum (Our Lady's Hospital)	Lee Road, Cork	Enlargement and improvement (including hospitals and airing courts). Atkins prepares plans, 1873. Contractor: Robert Walker, Jr (£5,300). Atkins's plans, originally approved, rejected in May 1875 'owing it appears to some alterations made in them by Mr Atkins to whom they were referred for revision'. Atkins resigns, 1876, and W.H. Hill appointed to superintend completion of works in hand 'immediately'. Atkins paid £350.
1881	Church of St Michael & All Angels	Whitegate, Cork	Gothic, with wheel window in W. gable. Consecrated 23 Apr 1881. Contractor: Samuel Hill, Cork.