Clifton House, one of Belfast’s most iconic historical buildings, was constructed between 1771 and 1774 as the city’s first Poor House. Allegedly conceived on the back of a napkin by newspaper publisher Robert Joy and realised by architects Thomas Cooley and Robert Mylne, the building was commissioned by the Belfast Charitable Society on land donated by the Marquis of Donegall, Arthur Chichester. More than just a shelter, it became both a home for the poor and the meeting place for the Society, whose members played a pivotal role in shaping Belfast’s civic and social development over the following centuries.
Building a Symbol of Charity and Civic Pride
The site was carefully chosen for its elevated position overlooking the Georgian town and for its abundance of clay, which was used to make the red bricks on-site—truly making the building “Made of Belfast.” Dunmurry stone formed the main features such as doorways, while sand dredged from the River Lagan completed the mix of local materials.
On 2 August 1771, the foundation stone was ceremonially laid, an event announced in the Belfast Newsletter. In keeping with both tradition and the charitable spirit of the institution, five guineas were placed on the stone and distributed among the workers, symbolically passing the building’s blessing to the people of Belfast rather than burying it in the foundations.
Robert Joy continued to influence the design even after construction began. He proposed replacing the originally planned dome with a tall spire—a striking and unusual addition for such a building. The spire made the Poor House visible across the city, acting as a beacon for those in need and as a statement of civic virtue. Some local folklore claims the spire prompted Lord Donegall to heighten the nearby St Anne’s Parish Church tower out of rivalry, though the story is likely apocryphal.
A Landmark in the Georgian Landscape
In 18th-century Belfast, the Poor House stood out among modest buildings—a “Palace for the Poor.” Its architecture symbolised the Society’s ambitions: to elevate the welfare of the town’s most vulnerable while promoting civic improvement.
A bell and clock were later added to regulate daily life for residents. In 1775, Reverend William Bristow arranged to borrow these from the Old Corporation Church on High Street, which had fallen into disrepair. The bell was hung in the spire to mark wake-up calls, mealtimes, and “lights out,” while the clock governed the day’s rhythm. The bell, now retired, still stands in the entrance hall—the oldest resident of Clifton House.
The current clock above the main entrance was added in 1882, donated by Lady Johnston and crafted by local clockmaker Francis Montgomery Moore, known for the Albert Memorial clock. It remains in use today, still marking the passage of time over two centuries later.
The Poor House Opens Its Doors
After three years of construction, the Belfast Charitable Society held its first meeting in the new boardroom on 24 October 1774, officially opening the Poor House to its first residents that Christmas Eve. For almost 250 years, the Society would continue to operate from within its walls.
Although the building had been completed, the rapid growth of Belfast soon brought pressure to expand. Originally not designed to house children, the Poor House nonetheless began admitting them as need grew. Two small additions were made in the 1820s, but the first major expansion came in the 1860s through the philanthropy of local mill owner John Charters.
The Charters Wing: A Gift for Belfast’s Children
Born in 1796, Charters made his fortune in the flax industry before selling his business interests in 1866 to focus on charitable work. He funded the construction of a new children’s wing at the Poor House—later named the Charters Wing—dedicated to providing shelter and education for destitute children. Charters was deeply committed to improving opportunities for Belfast’s youth, even funding scholarships that allowed talented boys from the Belfast Model School to attend the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.
The Charters Wing reflected his belief that education and compassion could break the cycle of poverty. His generosity ensured that the Poor House could better meet the needs of Belfast’s growing population, improving both capacity and living standards.
The Benn Wings and an Era of Expansion
The 1860s and 1870s marked a period of major growth for Clifton House. Shortly after the Charters Wing was completed, the Society received an anonymous offer to fund two additional wings—on the condition that costs not exceed £3,000. The donor was later revealed to be Edward Benn, a respected industrialist, antiquarian, and philanthropist who was also redeveloping nearby Glenravel Street, where Belfast’s medical quarter would later emerge.
Benn’s and Charters’s contributions transformed the Poor House, allowing more residents to be accommodated in safer, healthier conditions. Recognising their generosity, the Society in 1872 ordered an inscription to honour Charters on his wing, while Benn’s name and family crest were incorporated into the wings he funded.
Both men embodied the philanthropic spirit that defined the Belfast Charitable Society during this era. While Benn, in declining health, channelled his fortune into civic projects and healthcare, Charters dedicated his wealth to education and social welfare. Their legacies—built in brick and stone—helped the institution survive challenges such as famine and disease, ensuring it continued to offer refuge to Belfast’s poor well into the modern era.
Legacy of Clifton House
By the time both benefactors passed away in 1874, a century after the house’s founding, Clifton House had evolved from a Georgian charitable experiment into a lasting monument to civic generosity. Its spire, bell, and clock remain symbols of an enduring mission: to serve the people of Belfast. Though overshadowed today by the glass and steel skyline of the modern city, Clifton House still stands as a testament to the compassion, ingenuity, and philanthropy that built it.
This Grade A Listed building is one of the finest surviving pieces of Georgian architecture in Belfast, and is the city’s oldest working building, still owned by Belfast Charitable Society.
It was used as a nursing home and hospital for older people and is now also a unique event venue and Heritage Centre.
