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Oak House, Monmouth

Coordinates: 51°48′50″N 2°42′47″W / 51.813962°N 2.71296°W / 51.813962; -2.71296
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Oak House
Oak House, Monmouth
Map
General information
Address6 Monk Street
Town or cityMonmouth
CountryWales
Coordinates51°48′50″N 2°42′47″W / 51.813962°N 2.71296°W / 51.813962; -2.71296
Current tenantsBritish Telecom
Completed1846 (1846)
Design and construction
Architect(s)George Vaughan Maddox
DesignationsType II Listed Building, since 15 August 1974

Oak House is a Grade II Listed building on Monk Street Monmouth, Wales.

History

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The house was designed by George Vaughan Maddox and built in 1846.[1][2]

The 1881 census records George Willis, a doctor and magistrate of the borough & county of Monmouth, as resident. He was born in Ireland in about 1829 and was still occupying the house in the 1891 census. He died on 15 September 1898. His obituary in The Morning Post newspaper said he had been Mayor of Monmouth three times and was a founder of the Cottage Hospital.[3][4][5] Lloyd Grant Smith another medical practitioner was listed in the 1901 and 1911 Census as head of the household. He was born about 1860 in Birkenhead, Cheshire. Alice Smith was his wife and was born about 1868. The 1911 census information included the house had thirteen rooms (1911 Census excluding rooms: Scullery, Landing, Lobby, Closet Bathroom, Warehouse, Office and Shop).[6] [7]

The garden and house became home to Monmouth's Telephone Exchange established in 1902 following an intervention by J. A. Rolls which saw The Treasury provide a grant.[8] Keith Kissack in his book Monmouth and its Buildings described a later extension to the telephone exchange as “dreadful”.[1]

The house underwent renovation in the early 21st century. [9][10] Pre-renovation investigations identified a resident colony of around 100 Pipistrelle bats.[11]

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Keith Kissack, Monmouth and its Buildings, Logaston Press, 2003, ISBN 1-904396-01-1, p. 59
  2. ^ "Walking in Monmouth, Monmouthshire and The Wye Valley". The Monmouth Website. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  3. ^ Census in the United Kingdom, United States census, 1881; Monmouth, Monmouthshire; page 4, line 4, enumeration district District 2. Retrieved on 1 March 2012.
  4. ^ Census in the United Kingdom, United States census, 1891; Monmouth, Monmouthshire; page 1, line 1, enumeration district District 2. Retrieved on 1 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Dr George Willis", The Morning Post (London, England), p. 5, 16 September 1898
  6. ^ Census in the United Kingdom, United States census, 1911; Monmouth, Monmouthshire; page 1, line 1, enumeration district District 2. Retrieved on 1 March 2012.
  7. ^ Census in the United Kingdom, United States census, 1901; Monmouth, Monmouthshire; page 40, line 8, enumeration district District 2. Retrieved on 1 March 2012.
  8. ^ Keith Kissack, Victorian Monmouth, The Monmouth Historical and Educational trust, ISBN 0-9503386-2-1, page 166
  9. ^ "Monmouth Town Council - Planning Committee" (PDF). Monmouth Town Council. 24 May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  10. ^ "Monmouth Town Council - Planning Committee" (PDF). Monmouth Town Council. 7 June 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2012.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "Bats make telephone exchange home". BBC. 14 July 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2012.