Mansion House, Cardiff
Encyclopedia
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. Habershon & Fawckner designed the Mansion House and it was built in 1896 for James Howell, owner of Howells department store. It was then known then as 'The Grove'.
James Howell was a Cardiff businessman who opened his first shop in 1865. In 1890 he made arrangements to build a property on land leased from Lord Tredegar
Baron Tredegar
Baron Tredegar, of Tredegar in the County of Monmouth, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.It was created in 1859 for the Welsh politician Sir Charles Morgan, 3rd Baronet, who had earlier represented Brecon in Parliament. His eldest son, Charles Rodney Morgan, sat as Member of...
. The plans were for a large family home, to house his 11 children. The one unusual aspect of the house is that it has two front doors. James Howell wanted to ensure that the house could be divided in two in the future if needed. In the cellar, a wall was constructed which could have been extended upwards to divide the house in two. The house was bought by the Cardiff Corporation
Cardiff Council
The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council consists of 75 councillors, representing 29 electoral wards. The authority is properly styled as The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff or in...
in 1913. The building is a Grade II Listed Building.