Melfield
NAME Mel Field/Melfield
AREA LOCATION It is situated on the campus of Newpark Comprehensive School.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Newtown Castlebyrne and it is annotated as Mel Field on both. It is named
on Duncan's map of 1821 and Taylors map of 1816.
GENERAL Three bay, two storey over basement on Newtownpark Avenue. It had two
gatelodges in 1870 when it was purchased by Michael Crowe. The house was owed by the Atkinson
family from 1792 until 1867 and was leased out in various years. Part of the site was sold to build
Belfort House in 1870. House split in two by 1920 and in flats by 1940. Chalet style houses built on
the site in 1961. In 1979 it became part of Newpark Comprehensive school.
YEAR BUILT circa 1792
VALUATION In 1920 the valuation was 68 pounds.
NUMBER
OF ROOMS In the 1901 census it is noted as having 14 rooms
ARCHITECT Unknown.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers,
NAI Census & Wills and OSI Maps
OCCUPANTS
1792 - 1796 Joseph Atkinson (playwright/served in the West Indies/High Sheriff of Dublin)
1792 - 1867 Atkinson family
C1826 Joseph Grant Esq
1836 - 1840 Peter Gogarty moved to Foxrock in 1840
1842 Margaret Hall
1867 - 1869 Vacant
1870 - 1902 Michael Frederick Crowe
1902 - 1917 Miss Kate Crowe
1917 - 1920 Eleanor Ward nee Crowe
1920 For Sale
1925 Leon David
1935 Mrs Higgins/Mrs Hull
1937 Bernard F Higgins RIP (Pitman Script)
1940 Let in flats
1942 TP & Freida Smyth
1974 John Draper
1979 Newpark Music Centre
STAFF
1842 James McKittrick - Servant
Lawrence Flanagan - Gardener
1870 John Whittaker - Gardener
1886 Michael White - Gardener
1901 Joanna Malone - General Domestic Servant
1901 - 1911 Isaac Long - Gardener - living at gatelodge
1911 Mary Collins - General Domestic Servant
CURRENT
STATUS Extant and in use as a music school
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE April 2020
NAME Mel Field/Melfield
AREA LOCATION It is situated on the campus of Newpark Comprehensive School.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Newtown Castlebyrne and it is annotated as Mel Field on both. It is named
on Duncan's map of 1821 and Taylors map of 1816.
GENERAL Three bay, two storey over basement on Newtownpark Avenue. It had two
gatelodges in 1870 when it was purchased by Michael Crowe. The house was owed by the Atkinson
family from 1792 until 1867 and was leased out in various years. Part of the site was sold to build
Belfort House in 1870. House split in two by 1920 and in flats by 1940. Chalet style houses built on
the site in 1961. In 1979 it became part of Newpark Comprehensive school.
YEAR BUILT circa 1792
VALUATION In 1920 the valuation was 68 pounds.
NUMBER
OF ROOMS In the 1901 census it is noted as having 14 rooms
ARCHITECT Unknown.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers,
NAI Census & Wills and OSI Maps
OCCUPANTS
1792 - 1796 Joseph Atkinson (playwright/served in the West Indies/High Sheriff of Dublin)
1792 - 1867 Atkinson family
C1826 Joseph Grant Esq
1836 - 1840 Peter Gogarty moved to Foxrock in 1840
1842 Margaret Hall
1867 - 1869 Vacant
1870 - 1902 Michael Frederick Crowe
1902 - 1917 Miss Kate Crowe
1917 - 1920 Eleanor Ward nee Crowe
1920 For Sale
1925 Leon David
1935 Mrs Higgins/Mrs Hull
1937 Bernard F Higgins RIP (Pitman Script)
1940 Let in flats
1942 TP & Freida Smyth
1974 John Draper
1979 Newpark Music Centre
STAFF
1842 James McKittrick - Servant
Lawrence Flanagan - Gardener
1870 John Whittaker - Gardener
1886 Michael White - Gardener
1901 Joanna Malone - General Domestic Servant
1901 - 1911 Isaac Long - Gardener - living at gatelodge
1911 Mary Collins - General Domestic Servant
CURRENT
STATUS Extant and in use as a music school
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE April 2020