39/40 HIGH STREET (THE BLUE BUILDING).
The Blue Building which used to be the Doncaster Design Centre and Tourist Information Centre was originally the home of John Whitaker, a wine merchant, and son of James Whitaker who was Mayor of Doncaster in 1758. John Whitaker was made an Alderman in September 1774. On 4 October 1774, the Corporation resolved to apply to William Lindley of York to draw a plan for a playhouse in the Market Place. In January 1775 the plan was approved and the building was ready for Tate Wilkinson's company to enter in September 1776. In April 1778 the Corporation agreed to pay Lindley's bill for the plan of the playhouse. John Whitaker was mayor in 1778. Lindley was encouraged to move to Doncaster by the success of the playhouse. He established a considerable practice and in 1793 was admitted to the Freedom of the Borough. He probably designed John Whitaker's house.
The Window Tax returns for 1780/1781 show that John Whitaker's house had 49 windows - the Mansion House had 37 windows. In 1779 John Whitaker's younger brother, George, who was an attorney, bought a property from Thomas Gill which was very nearly opposite the Mansion House. On the site, he built a house which was similar in style to John Whitaker's and had 30 windows. In 1788 George sold the house to Ellison, Cooke, Childers & Swann for use as a bank.
John Whitaker was Mayor for the second time in 1784 but in May 1788 he was advertising his house to let - 'A large commodious house with coach house, stables, pleasure ground, walls well lined with fruit trees, and every convenience required for a gentleman's family'. However, he remained in occupation until after the death of his wife, Mary, in May 1795 when it was let to Colonel John Cooke. John Whitaker, a member of the Corporation for 45 years, died in April 1804 aged 64. The house was sold to John Henry Maw, a gentleman from Epworth who had resided at Warmsworth Hall for several years. Anelays, the builders, made substantial additions to the High Street house for J. H. Maw who owned a considerable area of land in the south of the Borough, including most of Town Field. He erected Belle Vue house in Bennetthorpe, originally intended to be a racing inn but he made it into his private residence.
- H. Maw sold his High Street house to James Jackson, a partner in the bank of Jackson, Tew & Trueman which was first established in 1800 and occupied premises on Goose Hill (now J W Brooke & Sons). It was known as the New Bank to distinguish it from the old bank of Cooke, Childers & Co. The New Bank moved into Alderman Whitaker's house in 1812. James Jackson, who was Mayor in 1803 and 1814, lived at the bank until his death in 1821 when his executors sold the property to the remaining partners of the New Bank for £4,200.
The illustration is from 'Doncaster: The Elegant Country Town' a publication by the Museum and Arts Service, editor: J Barwick
The New Bank in High Street is the large building on the right. The building on the far left is the old Ram Inn on the site of the present Danum Hotel.
The Doncaster Gazette of December 1841 reported that an ancient pear tree that stood in the spacious garden behind the banking house of Leatham & Co had been cut down. It was reputed that the tree had been planted by Charles I in the year 1641-42 when the King dined at Lady Carlingford's residence on the site.
The tree was removed to allow the construction of 11 houses on the ground in Cleveland Street and Printing Office Street. They were sometimes referred to as King Charles' Terrace.
The New Bank was amalgamated with the Old Bank in 1848. Alderman Whitaker's house was conveyed to Samuel Hall of Doncaster, Gent. The building was converted into two houses. No. 39 High Street was occupied by Samuel Hall and No. 40 by Henry Moore, tillage merchant. For some time during the 1850s, the members of the Doncaster Racing Club held their sojourn during Race Week at Mr. Moore's house.
After the death of Samuel Hall in 1855, No. 39 High Street was taken by Jeremiah Rogers, Professor of Music and Organist at St George's Church from 1835 to 1879. His son, Robert Massingberd Rogers, was organist at St George's from 1879 to 1904. Robert's half-brother was James Massingberd Teale, an architect who restored many churches in the Doncaster area. He moved into No. 40 in 1873 following the death of Henry Moore.
In 1881 Teale moved to Albion House and No. 40 was converted to offices for Warwick & Richard son, brewers. They built a large bottling store at the rear of the property in 1890. RM.Rogers retired in 1904 and moved to St Ann's, Thome Road. The ground floor of No. 39 was made into a shop for Archibald Ramsden, pianoforte dealer, and the upper floors were let to the Doncaster Conservative Club.
A New Face
In 1925 the complete building was demolished apart from the facade which was retained and given a facing of decorative blue tiles. The intention was to build a shopping arcade from High Street to Printing Office Street. Only part of the arcade, known as the Westminster Arcade was built. It had a number of shops, the largest being that of Woodhouse & Co Furnishers.
In the late 1960s, when Planners were still in favour of the comprehensive development of town centres, a planning application was made by a large property company to redevelop the Blue Building and the three adjoining buildings, including the Subscription Rooms. Planning permission was granted. Fortunately, the economy was operating on a Boom & Gloom basis and it had just entered a Gloom phase and development was delayed and the application lapsed.
The Trust suggested to Doncaster MBC that any future application should be submitted to the Royal Fine Arts Commission for its views (The R.F.A.C. was a body set up by the Government to advise on the aesthetic merits of important planning applications) The DMBC replied that it did not need any advice!
The 1968 Town Planning Act considerably strengthened the safeguards for listed buildings. Only one of the four buildings that were threatened were listed. The Trust applied to the Department of the Environment in 1971 to have the Subscription Betting Rooms listed (43 High Street). Unfortunately, most of the facade had been encased by a modern shop front. The D.O.E said they were not able to send an inspector to Doncaster! In February 1973 we resubmitted our request stating that submission of a planning application was imminent. We pointed out that the columns could be seen through a gap in the casing and appeared to be intact (the Director of Museums confirmed this). The D.O.E. listed the building. Subsequently, a planning application to restore the portico and demolish the rest of the building which had suffered badly from the ingress of water, was approved. In 1975 the restoration of the frontage was completed.
The same period saw the restoration of 42 High Street, a listed building, and its conversion to a Building Society. No. 41 was listed in 1976 and refurbished by the owners. The Blue Building was listed in 1981. The conversion to a more appropriate use should ensure that this part of High Street's townscape is safe from redevelopment for many years to come.