Does the name Old Orchard House ring a bell? It should. Old Orchard House stands on the right-hand side of Butterfield Avenue. It stands as you approach Rathfarnham Village. This house has a story, a tale of hidden identities and ill-fated uprisings.
Old Orchard House is more than just bricks and mortar. It is a silent witness to a turbulent past. It is said that Robert Emmet leased this very house. This was between April and July of 1803. Emmet was making secret preparations. He was planning his ill-fated uprising against British rule.
He operated under an assumed name. He called himself Robert Ellis. Washington House further along the same road also claims Emmet resided there. To this day a debate continues. Which house sheltered the revolutionary?
Let us delve deeper into the Old Orchard House. In 1837, Lewis’s Dictionary recorded P. Larkin as the occupant. Later in the 1850s Griffith’s Valuation noted a Mr. Graham Kennedy. Today, the Grainger family calls Old Orchard House their home.
But the story of Old Orchard House does not end with Emmet. This former country house dates back to 1780. It showcases various phases of construction. It also retains features from each period. The house has a regional rating. This signifies its special architectural, historical, and technical interest.
Consider the architecture of the house. It features three main sections. The principal house has four bays. You can see brick and rubble walls there. They are partly rendered and painted. A replacement timber door graces the porch. Above it is a segmental-arched radial fanlight and sidelights. A deep bay window with casements faces east. Timber sash windows dot the remaining facade. The roof is hipped slate.
To the west lies the former stable block. It has three bays. Timber casements adorn the first floor. The roof mirrors the main house. It is hipped slate. A double-leafed door is flanked by depressed arched brick openings. Some original eighteenth-century timber sash windows remain. They have exposed sash boxes.
A later two-bay addition extends to the south of the original house. A full-height chimney breast divides the south face. It rises to a yellow brick stack with slate hung sides. Diagonal brick corbels decorate the eaves. Walls consist of rubble and brick under render. The roof is pyramidal slate. It has terracotta ridge tiles. An elaborate cast-iron gate and rendered wall face the street.
Despite its modest scale Old Orchard House holds significance. It is significant because of its construction phases. It retains features from different eras. These features include rare eighteenth-century windows. Old Orchard House stands as a testament to time. It has witnessed love, loss, and rebellion. Its walls echo with the footsteps of those who shaped Irish history.
Old Orchard House might seem like just another house. But behind its walls lies a story. It is a story of revolution, hidden identities, and historical significance. So, the next time you pass by Old Orchard House remember its past. Remember Robert Emmet.