Pall Mall, South Side, Past Buildings: No 104 Pall Mall, The Countess of Dysart's House

No. 104 Pall Mall: The Countess of Dysart's House

Occupied part of the site of the Reform Club

This house (pocket, drawing B) was erected on the site of two earlier buildings in 1761–2 by John, second Earl of Egmont, (fn. 1) whose family had occupied one of the earlier houses since 1719. (fn. 2) It appears to have had a good Palladian front, three storeys high and five windows wide. The ground storey had two architrave-framed windows on either side of the doorway, which was dressed with a triangular-pedimented doorcase. A pedestalcourse underlined the five principal-storey windows, each dressed with an architrave, frieze and cornice, the middle one being emphasized by its balustraded apron, the shaped jambs flanking the architrave, and the triangular pediment on consoles. The chamber-storey windows were square, with architraves and sills resting on consoles. The front was quoined at each end and finished with a cornice and plain parapet, the roof containing three hipped dormers.

In 1788 Edward Foxhall, carver, did some work in the house for the then occupant, Lady Louisa Manners. (fn. 3) She later commissioned (Sir) John Soane to alter the house in 1793–4; his work included cutting down the windows on the principal floor. (fn. 4) The house was subsequently occupied for a number of years by the Countess of Dysart (fn. c1), and from 1831 to 1836 it was used for the storage and exhibition of the King's pictures. (fn. 5) In 1836 it was acquired by the Reform Club, whose first home it became for a short while, and was demolished soon afterwards to make way for the present club-house.