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Leinster House, 18th century Dublin townhouse of the Duke of Leinster. It is now the seat of parliament
Leinster House, 18th century Dublin townhouse of the Duke of Leinster. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. The Duke of Leinster (referring to Leinster, but unlike the province pronounced " Lin -ster" is Ireland's premier peer It is now the seat of parliament

Historically in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries, a townhouse (or a "house in town") was a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year. The English country house is generally accepted as a large House or Mansion, once in the ownership of an individual who also usually owned another Great However during the Social Season (when major balls and drawing rooms took place), and when parliament was in session, peers and the servants moved to live in their townhouse in the capital. The social season or Season has historically referred to the annual period when it is customary for members of the British social Elite of society to hold Debutante

In North America and Australia, the term townhouse is usually used to refer to what is known as terraced housing in Britain. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. In Architecture and City planning, a terrace(d or row house or townhouse (though the latter term can also refer to Patio houses

Contents

Britain and Ireland

Henrietta Street, the street contains some of the oldest and largest Georgian townhouses in Dublin. All were converted into tenements in the 19th century.
Henrietta Street, the street contains some of the oldest and largest Georgian townhouses in Dublin. All were converted into tenements in the 19th century.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland most townhouses were terraced. In Architecture and City planning, a terrace(d or row house or townhouse (though the latter term can also refer to Patio houses Only a small minority of them, generally the largest, were detached, but even aristocrats whose country houses had grounds of hundreds or thousands of acres, often lived in terraced houses in town. For example the Duke of Norfolk owned Arundel Castle in the country, while his London house was a terraced house called Norfolk House in St. James's Square - although that particular terraced house was over 100 feet (30 metres) wide. Arundel Castle in West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle Norfolk House, at 31 St James's Square, London, was built in 1722 for the Duke of Norfolk. St James Square is the only square in the exclusive St James's district of the City of Westminster. However, the British and Irish architectural term for a house with party walls with its neighbours on both sides was always "terraced house", not townhouse. There was little difference between the more modest terraced townhouses of less opulent members of the aristocracy, and the terraced houses of wealthy middle class Londoners, but they were generally located in different districts.

Many aristocratic townshouses were demolished or ceased to be used for residential purposes following the First World War. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All In the post World War II period large terraced houses in general in London and other British cities were divided into flats or converted into offices. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including However, in the early 21st century this trend is being reversed to some extent, as there is less demand for old houses as offices nowadays since open plan layouts are preferred, and the number of very rich people in London has risen. For example, in 2004, the Grosvenor Group sold two grand terraces houses in Belgrave Square which had been in office use, for reconversion to family houses. The Grosvenor Group is a property company which is privately owned by the Duke of Westminster. Belgrave Square is one of the grandest 19th century squares in London England The asking price was £12 million each.

Nowadays British property developers and estate agents often call new terraced houses townhouses, probably because the aristocratic pedigree of terraced housing is widely forgotten, and for many people the main mental association of terraced housing is with working class terraced housing, especially in poor districts in the north of England. "Townhouse" still has more exclusive connotations.

Canada and United States

Traditional townhouses in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of New York City
Traditional townhouses in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of New York City
Colonial townhouses in a newer residential neighborhood in Ventura, CA
Colonial townhouses in a newer residential neighborhood in Ventura, CA
A suburban development of townhouses in Bristol, Tennessee.
A suburban development of townhouses in Bristol, Tennessee. Turtle Bay is a Neighborhood in New York City, on the east side of Midtown Manhattan. Incorporated in 1866 the city of San Buenaventura (usually referred to as Ventura) is the County seat of Ventura Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States.

In the United States and Canada, a townhouse has two connotations. The older predates the automobile and denotes a house on a small footprint in a city, but due to having multiple floors (sometimes six or more) it has a large living space, often with servant quarters. The small footprint of the townhouse allows it to be within walking or mass transit distance of business and industrial areas of the city, yet luxurious enough for wealthy residents of the city. In areas so densely built that detached single-family houses are uncommon or almost nonexistent, ownership of a townhouse connotes wealth. Some examples of cities where townhouses are occupied almost exclusively by the wealthy are New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, and San Francisco. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city

"Rowhouses" are similar, and consist of several adjacent, uniform units originally found in urban areas on the east coast such as Baltimore, Detroit, and Philadelphia, but now found in lower-cost housing developments in suburbs as well. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. A rowhouse will generally be smaller and less luxurious than a dwelling called a townhouse.

The name "townhouse" or "townhomes" was later used to describe non-uniform units in suburban areas that are designed to mimic detached or semi-detached homes. The distinction between dwellings called just "apartments" or "condos" is that these townhouses usually consist of multiple floors, although ones with more than three floors (including a basement) are uncommon.

In Canada, and especially in Ontario, townhouses are split into two categories:

"Stacked townhouses" have multiple units vertically (typically two), normally each with its own private entrance from the street.

Australia and South Africa

In Australia and South Africa, townhouses are generally found in complexes. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Large complexes often have high security, resort facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, parks and playground equipment. Typically, a townhouse has a Strata Title, i. e. a type of title where the common property (landscaped area, public corridors, building structure etc. ) is owned by a corporation of individual owners and the houses on the property are owned by the individual owners.

Commonly in the suburbs of major cities an old house on a large block of land is demolished and replaced by a short row of townhouses, built 'end on' to the street for added privacy.

See further at semi-detached. Semi-Detached (1998 was Therapy? 's last album for A&M Records.

See also

Famous townhouses

Among the most famous townhouses are:

Georgian Dublin consisted of five Georgian squares, which contained the townhouses of prominent peers. Georgian Dublin is a phrase used in the History of Dublin that has two interwoven meanings to describe a historic period in the development of the city of The squares were Merrion Square, St. Stephen's Green, Fitzwilliam Square, Ruthland Square (now called Parnell Square) and Mountjoy Square. Merrion Square ( Cearnóg Mhuirfean in Irish) is situated on the south side of Dublin city centre and is considered one of the city's finest Georgian St Stephen's Green ( is an inner-city Public park in Dublin, Ireland. Fitzwilliam Square is a small but historic Georgian square in the south of central Dublin, Ireland. Parnell Square ( Cearnóg Parnell in Irish, formerly Rutland Square) and was renamed after Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891 Parnell Square ( Cearnóg Parnell in Irish, formerly Rutland Square) and was renamed after Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891 Mountjoy Square ( one of five Georgian squares in Dublin, Ireland, lies on the north side of the city Many of the townhouses in these squares are now offices while some have been demolished.

165 Eaton Place - residence of the Bellamy family in "Upstairs, Downstairs"

Additional reading

Dictionary

townhouse

-noun

  1. a row house
  2. a house in an urban setting
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