Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Architect, of Dublin, and master of the Royal Dublin Society's School of Architectural Drawing, 1842-1854. Duncan Campbell Ferguson, who was possibly born in Scotland, entered the Royal Dublin Society's School of Figure Drawing in 1826, and was awarded prizes in 1828, 1829 and 1830.(1) In 1842 he was appointed master of the School of Drawing in Architecture,(2) and in the same year he designed a new range of glasshouses for the Society's gardens at Glasnevin. These were redesigned the following year, after RICHARD TURNER  RICHARD TURNER had submitted proposals for constructing the range entirely of iron.(3) He is described as 'a young and rising architect' in the Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal in August, 1846.(4)  In 1852 Ferguson won the competition for designing the Society's natural history museum and was also involved in the Society's proposal to establish model lodging houses in Dublin.(5) In 1848 he exhibited two watercolours at the Royal Hibernian Academy, one of 'Irish Sculpture, as exhibited in the gallery of the Royal Dublin Society' (no. 241), another of the Presbyterian Church 'erected in Lower Gloucester Street, Dublin' (no. 339).

In 1849 a new position of Headmaster of the Royal Dublin Society's Schools was created, so that the masters of the four formerly autonomous schools of figure drawing, landscape and ornament drawing, architectural drawing and modelling were now designated assistant masters.(6) In 1854 control of the Society's academic programme passed to the Department of Science and Art in London. Staff were now required to hold the Department's own certificates of competency. As a result the four assistant masters, including Ferguson, were compulsorily retired.(7)   By the end of the year Ferguson had started teaching classes in architecture and engineering from his own house in Westland Row.(8)

After leaving the Royal Dublin Society, Ferguson continued to practise as an architect. In 1863 he was commissioned to report on the Coombe Lying-In Hospital, with a view to making improvements,(9) and was himself to produce a preliminary design some eight or nine years later.(10) The Irish Builder contains no references to works by him after 1870.   His name disappears from the directories after 1873 but his date of death is at present unknown.  He had married Eliza Singer Ringland on 26 December 1840 at St Mark;'s church, Dublin, and had at least four sons: Archibald (b. 1843), Duncan Campbell (b. 1845), John (b. 1850) and Donald (b. 1857).(11)

Addresses:(12) Royal Dublin Society Office, 4 Molesworth Street, & 5 Erne Street, 1845; RDS Office, 4 Molesworth Street, & 14 Harcourt Street, 1846; 16 Lower Gardiner Street, 1847; 2 Duggan Place, Rathmines, 1850-52; 18 Leinster Chambers & 2 Duggan Place, Rathmines, 1853-54; 20 Leinster Chambers & 19 Westland Row, 1855; 49 Camden St & 3 Cheltenham Place, Rathmines, 1856-58; 6 Charlemont Mall, 1859-1865; 2 Garda Terrace, Rathgar, 1866-67; 1 Talbot St & 2 Garda Terrace, Rathgar, 1868-70; 59b Harcourt Street & 2 Garda Terrace, Rathmines, 1871-73.

See WORKS.



References



(1) Gitta Willemson, ed., The Dublin Society Drawing Schools: students and award winners 1746-1876 (2000), 33.
(2) John Turpin, A School of Architecture in Dublin since the Eighteenth Century (1995), 106, but cf. p.92.
(3) E. Charles Nelson & Eileen M. McCracken, The Brightest Jewel: a history of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin (1987), 106-107(illus.).
(4) Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal 9 (Aug 1846), 258.
(5) B 10, 17 Jan 1852, 46.
(6) Turpin, op. cit., 147.
(7) Turpin, op. cit., 153.
(8) Freeman's Journal, 30 Nov, 2,4 Dec 1854.
(9) Irish Times , 26 Dec 1862; DB 5, 1 Jan 1863, 10.
(10) IAA, PKS B05/46, B06/10, A06 (Jul 1872).
(11) Genealogical information from www.irish genealogy.ie .
(12) Information from Thom's and Post Office directories, and from Jones's transcripts of lists of architects in Thom's directories.


24 work entries listed in chronological order for FERGUSON, DUNCAN CAMPBELL


Sort by date | Sort alphabetically


Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, GLASNEVIN ROAD, BOTANIC GARDENS
Date: 1842-43
Nature: New glasshouse range.
Refs: E. Charles Nelson & Eileen M. McCracken, The Brightest Jewel: a history of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin (1987), 106-107(illus.); E.J. Diestelkamp, 'The curvilinear range at the National Botanic Gardens', Mooraea 9 (Dec 1990), 8,12

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, GLOUCESTER STREET LOWER, PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Date: 1846
Nature: New  church with portico, 'the first in the Grecian Doric order that has been erected in Dublin'; 'recently completed' in Aug 1846. DCF exhibits watercolour drawing of 'Presbyterian Church, erected in Lower Gloucester Street, Dublin' at RHA, 1848.
Refs: Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal 9 (Aug 1846), 258;  RHA 1848, no. 339;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 137.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, RATHMINES, HOUSE (WYNNEFIELD HOUSE, RATHGAR ROAD?)
Date: 1850
Nature: Erected by Robert Duggan, Esq.
Refs: Perspective view, signed and dated 'D.C. Ferguson, architect, 1850' sold Adams, Blackrock, Dublin, 7 Apr 1997, Lot 3.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, KILDARE STREET, LEINSTER HOUSE (ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY)
Date: 1853
Nature: DCF's design for proposed museum of natural history wins competition.
Refs: B 10, 3 Jan 1852, 13

Building: CO. WICKLOW, ENNISKERRY, HOUSE
Date: 1857ca
Nature: Addition to 'Mr Millar's House'. Attr. to DCF n stylistic grounds.
Refs: Unsigned, undated plan and elevation in IAA, Powerscourt Albums (89/62), 1/76/1,2.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, RATHMINES, SCHOOL HOUSE (PRIVATE)
Date: 1860
Nature: -
Refs: DB 2, 1 Jul 1860, 300

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, RATHGAR ROAD, PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (CHRIST CHURCH)
Date: 1860
Nature: Competition entrant
Refs: DB 2, 1 Mar 1860, 211

Building: CO. WICKLOW, BRAY, STRAND, HOUSES (008)
Date: 1860
Nature: Terrace of 8 houses with 1 storey oriel windows and cantilever roof. For Todd & Findlater. Builder: Potts. (?Claddagh Tce)
Refs: DB 2, 1 Dec 1860, 380

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, KILDARE STREET, NO. 006 (ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS)
Date: 1861
Nature: Submits unselected design in limited competition.
Refs: DB 3, 15 May,1 Aug 1861, 510,589; B 19, 535 1861, 535

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, OAKLANDS (RATHGAR), HOUSES (002)
Date: 1861
Nature: For Henry Todd. Builder: Hugh Kelly.
Refs: DB 3, 15 Aug 1861, 598

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, NASSAU STREET, NO. 023 (ROSENTHAL)
Date: 1861-62
Nature: To be newly fronted in 'Moorish' style and internal improvements effected. Design modified when half built.
Refs: DB 3, 1 Jul 1861, 564; 4, 1 Feb,1 May 1862, 33,112

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, KNOCKMAROON LODGE
Date: 1861-66
Nature: For Gilbert Burns. Builder: Cockburn & Son. £10,000. Adds., 1863. Estimated cost of Cockburn's tender, £3,200.
Refs: IAA, PKS B02/04, B03/04, A03 (Mar 1861, Jun 1863, pp.40v,42v), L01 (p.610,697,715,771-2 &c.); DB 3, 15 May 1861, 519; 4, 15 Feb 1862, 44; 8, 15 Mar 1866, 67

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, EARLSFORT TERRACE, EXHIBITION PALACE & WINTER GARDEN
Date: 1862
Nature: Competition entrant.
Refs: DB 4, 15 Oct 1862, 262

Building: CO. WICKLOW, POWERSCOURT
Date: 1864
Nature: Proposed stables and coach house, for Mervyn, 7th Viscount Powerscourt.
Refs: Plan and elevation, signed and dated 10 Aug 1864, in IAA, Powerscourt Albums (89/62), 1/81/1, 1/83/1.

Building: CO. WICKLOW, BRAY, ?, MISS CLARKE'S HOUSE
Date: 1865
Nature: Works at same.(?2 Claddagh Tce) Builder: R. Farrell.
Refs: IAA, PKS L1 (p.785)

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, PETER STREET, LEDWICH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Date: 1866
Nature: Adds. & alts.
Refs: DB 8, 1 Jul 1866, 173

Building: CO. KILDARE, NAAS, MAIN STREET SOUTH, PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Date: 1866-67
Nature: New church for about 150 persons in Early Pointed Gothic style. Triple lancets in E & W gables with black, red and white brick dressings. Other dressings of Ballyknockan granite. Tenders invited, Jan 1866. In progress, Mar 1866. Opened 9 Apr 1867. Contractor: Carter, Blackrock.
Refs: DB 6, 15 Sep 1864, 188; 8, 15 Mar 1866, 67,78; 9, 15 Apr 1867, 102;  Freeman's Journal, 27 Jan 1866;  illus. in Laurence Kirkpatrick, Presbyterians in Ireland: an illustrated history (Booklink, 2006), 251.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, TERENURE ROAD EAST, ISLINGTON HOUSE
Date: 1866;1869
Nature: Alts, including addition and side, 1866, and conservatory, 1869.
Refs: See IAA, McCurdy & Mitchell Collection, 82/49.104

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, MOLESWORTH STREET, NO. 017-18 (FREEMASONS' HALL)
Date: 1866;1871
Nature: Wins 3rd prize in competition for designing same. (Motto 'Décor cum fortitudine'.) Designs Royal Arch Chapter Room in Egyptian manner, 1871.
Refs: Designs in Grand Lodge of Freemasons, Dublin, Masonic Hall with building committee minutes (information from Marion Gaule); B 24, 24 Mar 1866, 217;  Tony Browne, 'A Building Study (2008) of the Freemason's Hall', 24,63-68(illus.), http://irishmasonicjewels.ie/ (last visited Feb 2010).

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, RATHGAR ROAD, HOUSE
Date: 1866a
Nature: New villa for George Mitchell. Builder: Millard, Harcourt St.(Possibly Hopeton, Terenure Rd)
Refs: DB 8, 15 Mar 1866, 67

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, TEMPLE ROAD (RATHMINES), LONSDALE
Date: 1870
Nature: New. For James Pillar.
Refs: IB 12, 1 Jun 1870, 133;  Irish Times, 1 Dec 1934 (sale advertisement with photograph of entrance front).

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BACHELOR'S WALK (LITTON'S LANE), PURDON'S GUANO STORES
Date: 1870
Nature: Very extensive oil-cake & guano stores. Granite. Just completed. Builder: William Conolly, Upper Dominick St. Cost: approx. £1,800.
Refs: DB 8, 1866, 173; IB 12, 15 Mar 1870, 59;  Irish Times, 19 Mar 1870;  Architect 3, 26 Mar 1870, 156.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, COOMBE, NO. 081-84 (COOMBE HOSPITAL, OLD)
Date: 1872
Nature: First design by DCF (Costed at £7268) but design by James Franklin Fuller chosen instead?
Refs: IAA, PKS B05/46, B06/10, A06 (Jul 1872)

Building: CO. KILDARE, NAAS, PRESBYTERIAN MANSE
Date: 1872
Nature: New manse.  Connolly & Son, Dominick Street appointed contractors.  Work to be completed by 1 Dec 1872.
Refs: Irish Times, 6 Jun 1872.