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This
picture is taken from Robert Griffiths's 'History of the Royal and Ancient Park
of Toxteth'. It is very clearly based on an even earlier drawing in Liverpool
Records Office by H.Magenis.
The Holly Bank residents association hold documents going back to 1880
but no drawings from 19th Century. The oldest document is the
"Abstract Of The Title of the Misses Lilian Watts and Annie Watts and
Mrs Marion Helm to the freehold land and hereditaments known as "Holly
Bank" St. Michaels Hamlet Toxteth Park Liverpool" from 23rd November 1880.
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This was John
Cragg's own house, where he lived from
the time that he built it, around 1814, to his death there in July 1854, aged
87.
The front of the building was originally stabling for
the church congregation - many apparently travelled
long distances to the church. Griffiths records that the animals
were led through the side gate, to the back, reaching
the stables by an earthen causeway.
Much of the fabric of
the building is of iron - the windows and staircases are Iron, as are the canopy over the side entrance,
the pillars which hold the garden gate and the roof brackets.
In fact iron was used wherever possible in its construction. The
house was converted into flats in the 1930s and at some time after
this the summerhouse was similarly converted. The
house today is the same in overall appearance but has been heavily modified.
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Hollybank
(2)
