Patterson's Place, Belfast

Prospect of Patterson's Place from Upper Arthur Street (Timothy Ferres, 2023)

PATTERSON'S PLACE is an alley or mews that runs from 3, Donegall Square East to Upper Arthur Street in Belfast.

(Historic OS map of ca 1830)

It originally served as stables and coach-houses for the Georgian residences on Chichester Street.

Robert Patterson (Image: Ulster Museum)

In 1974 it contained the side doors to Pearl Assurance House, Boal's hardware store, Imperial Buildings, and Thompson-Reid Ltd.

Numbers 1-3 Donegall Square East, Ocean Buildings, was built between 1899-1902. Prior to this there were three terraced houses, which fronted Chichester Street and had stables and yards to the rear. 

The Prince George Hotel operated there in 1887. Imperial House, at 4-10 Donegall Square East, erected in 1935, replaced a terrace of four-storey houses with basements, two if which operated as the Linenhall Hotel. Upper Arthur Street, adjacent to Patterson's Place, was a smart residential street during the Victorian era. 

In 1926 Harry Ferguson opened an automobile garage and petrol station at Donegall Square East, which extended to the western side of Upper Arthur Street. Joseph Thompson and Hugh Reid acquired the premises in 1959 as Thompson-Reid Ltd.

Linenhall Hotel (Image: Robert French/NLI)

Patterson's Place is still a thoroughfare today.

(Timothy Ferres, 2023). Click to enlarge.

Robert Patterson (1802-72), a Belfast business man and naturalist, was one of seven young men who, in 1821, gathered at the home of Dr Drummond at 5, Chichester Street, to form the Belfast Natural History Society.

The late Sir Charles Brett KBE recounted his time as a solicitor at the family firm, L'Estrange & Brett, Chichester Street, Belfast in in autobiography, Long Shadows Cast Before.

Thompson's Garage, a nightclub, has operated at 3, Patterson's Place, since 1994.

I have written about 7 Chichester Street.