Amongst the public and private buildings at present being or about to be erected around us, we place before our readers a wood engraving of the artist’s studio to be built on a plot of ground situated at the corner of Chester Road and Grove Road.
The engraving is taken from a pen and ink sketch prepared from the designs of Mr. M. J. Gummow, A.R.I.B,A. of this town who is the architect. The gentleman who has embarked upon this new undertaking is Mr. Thomas H. Jones of Erddig Terrace whose career at the Royal Academy has been very successful and we hope the future will be more so.
We have inspected many specimens of Mr. Jones’ art. They are all carefully drawn, purely coloured and it is evident that a high amount of intelligence has been brought to bear upon the canvasses.
The building is to be carried out in the style of the 16th Century and will be built in Terra Cotta brick. It stands as the reader will look upon our sketch facing Chester Road and consists of studio, waiting room, lavatory and workroom.
The studio is a large room 19 feet 6 inches by 30 feet, well lighted from the partly glazed roof on the front and end, whilst the right or Grove Road side will possess a large window 14 feet by 9 feet looking out onto a well laid shrubbery.
The waiting room is 11 feet by 10 feet and is directly entered from the front door. I is lighted with a handsome glazed window shown on the left side of the door on our sketch. This room will be finished with panelled and moulded ceiling with an enriched cornice.
The walls are relived by well chosen tints and finished below with oak panelled dado, the stained glass of the window in this room giving a truly antique appearance. Leaving the waiting room we enter a passage 3 feet 6 inches in width, which connects the workroom with the studio, crossing which we enter the lavatory, a spacious apartment, tile floored and elaborately fitted up in ornamental tile, and eleven feet by seven feet in size.
The light thrown upon this room comes through two windows with back views. This completes a description of the rooms of the main building, and we refer our reader to the adjoining wing, which comprises the workroom. This room is to be tile floored, the entrance to which from the outside is by framed and braced double oak doors, as seen in our sketch, whilst the connection inside with the other rooms is by the before named passage. This room is 11 feet 6 inches by14 feet in size, the light for which is gained from two windows, having back and front views respectively.
Briefly reviewing the outside of the building, a few remarks may be interesting. The walls to the right of the front door comprise the walls of the studio. They have four pilasters, with sunk panels, the tops of each panel being furnished with corbel tabling. The front door is built in the gable, the ornamental element of which is alto-rilievo terra cotta bricks, the arches have ornamental keystones.
The roof will be covered with red tile and ridges. From the sketch it can be seen that the greater part of the main roof will be glazed, as is also the Grove road end, thus giving the studio an admirable light, which will be regulated by raising roller blinds.
The ground in front of the building will be artistically laid out and English oak lattice railings with two gates will be erected.
Mr. Benjamin Owen, Wrexham is the builder and the work will commence at once.
Source: Transcribed by Graham Lloyd from an original scan.
