The building
The Historic Environment Record entry covers the whole of Voisin's King Street buildings: A notable department store, with early 19th century origins, that retains an elegant exterior and defines the streetscape character of this section of King Street.
Francis Voisin founded Voisin and Company as a haberdashery shop at 26 King Street on 15 April 1837. Acquisition of neighbouring properties continued throughout the 19th century. Major refurbishment works were undertaken in 1933.
Principal frontage to King Street, three-storey, six-bay. Front, south elevation: series of pitched slate roofs set back behind decorative parapet. Walls rendered. Heavy, moulded cornice with foliate brackets and dentil course to underside. Bays defined by full height Corinthian pilasters. Second floor windows on west bay have moulded architraves with bracketed sills. First floor windows have eared, moulded architraves with console brackets over.
There is the curved staircase with cast iron balusters in the eastern section - No 24.
Voisin's department store was founded in 1837 at No 26 King Street by Francis Voisin, a 21-year-old draper. By the time of the 1841 census he had acquired the adjoining No 28, and moved to live there with his young family. No 26 is shown in the census as occupied by hatter Robert Cotton and his wife, perhaps employees of Voisin.
Chronology
- 1833 - J Aubin, draper
- 1837 to date - Voisin's
- 1841 - Robert Cotton (40) hatter and wife Mary (25) resident