No. 28, Bedford Square

LXXX.—No. 28, BEDFORD SQUARE.

Ground landlord and lessee.

Ground landlord, His Grace the Duke of Bedford, K.G.; lessees, the Society of Architects.

General description and date of structure.

On 1st November, 1776, a lease was granted (fn. 1) of a messuage at the west end of Bedford Square, "on the south side of a new street called Bedford Street" (now Bayley Street), having a frontage to the square of 28¾ feet, and a depth of about 143 feet. The premises referred to are obviously No. 28, the northernmost house of the west block. The house has been greatly altered, and partly rebuilt. It retains in the ground floor front room the original white marble chimneypiece shown on Plate 86, with a sculptured panel in the frieze, which is also shown to a larger scale.

The front room on the first floor contains a decorative plaster ceiling, and a carved wood and composition chimneypiece, which, though in keeping with the style of the room, is probably not contemporary with the erection of the house.

Condition of repair.

The premises are in good repair.

Biographical notes.

The house first appears in the ratebook for 1779. Geo. Drake was then the occupier and he continued to reside there until after 1800.

The Council's collection Contains:—

(fn. 2) Marble chimneypiece in front room on ground floor (photograph).
(fn. 2) Detail of central panel of marble chimney-piece in front room on ground floor (photograph).
Wood chimneypiece in front room on first floor (photograph).