T. F. O. Rippingham

Thomas Francis Ord Rippingham
Thomas Francis Ord Rippingham
Born	29 January 1896; Aston, Birmingham, England
Died	17 December 1964 (aged 68); Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Occupation	Architect
Buildings	Stranmillis College, Belfast; Telephone House, Belfast
Projects	Police Stations in Northern Ireland; Cregagh Housing Estate, Belfast

Thomas Francis Ord Rippingham^[1]^[2] (29 January 1896 – 17 December 1964) was an English-born architect who spent most of his professional life in Northern Ireland, mainly working for the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS).

"Rip", as he was affectionately known to his friends, family and colleagues, was given the name Thomas Joseph Francis Rippingham at birth. His father was Thomas Henry Rippingham (11 February 1855 – 6 February 1928) and his mother was Annie Josephine Harris (1859 – 23 January 1936). Rippingham was born at 51 Kendal Road, Deritend, Aston, Birmingham, England, and was educated at St. Phillip's Grammar School, Edgbaston, which was situated alongside Cardinal Newman's Oratory in Birmingham. After he left St. Phillip's he was an articled pupil, for two and a half years, and then an assistant, for three and a half years, to A. Hill Parker, ARIBA, of The Avenue, Worcester, England.^[3]

Rip enlisted in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 2 March 1916 and was called up for service in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on 1 November 1916, Regimental No. 024526. He served in the R.A.O.C. for three years and four months, with three years and two months “in the field” in France and at the Somme in the First World War. On 30 March 1920, he was transferred from the R.A.O.C. Unit 51. O.A.S. (either the Ordnance Ammunition Section or the Ordnance Architectural Section) to the Army Reserve, Middlesex Regiment, with the rank of Sergeant. ^[4]

T.F.O. Rippingham worked on many projects and designs which have become part of the Ulster landscape. One of his most characteristic and well known designs was that for the police stations which were built throughout Northern Ireland in the years following the creation in 1921 of Northern Ireland as a separate polity, following the Partition of Ireland.

Works[edit]

Stranmillis College, Belfast:
- Main building^[5]^[6](1928–1930).
- Henry Garrett Building^[7]^[8] (1944).
Northern Ireland Police Stations^[9](1920s–30s) – originally constructed at Ballyronan,^[10] Bushmills, Cloughmills, Dromara, Dundrum, Florencecourt, Gilford,^[11] Greencastle, Lisbellaw, Loughbrickland,^[12] Saintfield, and Seaforde and other places.
Telephone House, Belfast^[13]^[14] (1931–1934).
Cregagh Housing Estate, Belfast^[15] (1945–1950).
Buildings for the postal service in Northern Ireland,^[16] in: Banbridge, Bangor, Belfast (2 buildings), Holywood,^[17] Limavady.
Petty Sessions Court House, Chichester Street, Belfast.
Other buildings in Northern Ireland^[18] include:
- a public (state) primary school in the Cregagh Estate.
- an estate of houses for the Admiralty, Antrim.
- housing for power station workers, Ballylumford.
- a factory office building, Armagh.
- a small war memorial monument, Belfast City Hall.
- the conservation of Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough.
- the restoration of Carrickfergus Castle, Carrickfergus.
- private houses (probably no more than ten).

The main building, Stranmillis University College, May 2010
Saintfield P.S.N.I. Station - the Rippingham building is almost hidden by modern defensive walls
Dromara P.S.N.I. Station
Cregagh Housing Estate in South East Belfast

References[edit]

^ "Rippingham, Thomas Francis O." Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^ "Smith, Roland Ingleby". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^ Personal File; Public Reference Office Northern Ireland ref FIN/ 72/3
^ Unit Registration Card and Certificate of Transfer to Reserve documents; Family Archive
^ "Co. Antrim, Belfast, Stranmillis Road, Stranmillis College". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^ "College Estate in the Context of Permitted Development" (PDF). Stranmillis University College, Estates Strategy, 2010–14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^ "Co. Antrim, Belfast, Stranmillis Road, Stranmillis College, Henry Garrett Building". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^ "Henry Garrett Building, Stranmillis College, Stranmillis Road (p. 41)" (PDF). doeni.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2012.
^ "Co. Down, Seaforde, Newcastle Road, Police Station". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^ "Two Historic Buildings Protected". build.ie. 4 February 2008. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012.
^ "Former Police Station, Banbridge Road, Gilford, BT63". propertypal.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010.
^ "Banbridge / Newry and Mourne Area Plan 2015 District Proposals: Loughbrickland (Page 2 of 2)". planningni.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012.
^ "Co. Antrim, Belfast, Cromac Street, No. 001-15 (Telephone House)". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^ "Telephone House, Belfast". Flickr. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011.
^ "Co. Antrim, Belfast, Cregagh Road (& Mount Merrion Avenue), Cregagh Estate". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
^ "Rippingham, Thomas Francis O. – Works". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011. (search for "Post")
^ "Appendix 1 – Schedule of Listed Buildings in Holywood Conservation Area". Holywood Conservation Area. Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2011. (search for "Rippingham")
^ "Rippingham, Thomas Francis O. – Works". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

External links[edit]

"RIPPINGHAM, THOMAS FRANCIS O". Dictionary of Irish Architects.
"SMITH, ROLAND INGLEBY". Dictionary of Irish Architects.
"AGNEW, CHARLES STEWART". Dictionary of Irish Architects.

[TFOR-1] "Rippingham, Thomas Francis O." Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

[RIS-2] "Smith, Roland Ingleby". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

[3] Personal File; Public Reference Office Northern Ireland ref FIN/ 72/3

[4] Unit Registration Card and Certificate of Transfer to Reserve documents; Family Archive

[TFOR_Stran_mainBldg-5] "Co. Antrim, Belfast, Stranmillis Road, Stranmillis College". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

[TFOR_Stran_bldgs-6] "College Estate in the Context of Permitted Development" (PDF). Stranmillis University College, Estates Strategy, 2010–14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

[TFOR_Stran_HGBldg-7] "Co. Antrim, Belfast, Stranmillis Road, Stranmillis College, Henry Garrett Building". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

[8] "Henry Garrett Building, Stranmillis College, Stranmillis Road (p. 41)" (PDF). doeni.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2012.

[TFOR_Police-9] "Co. Down, Seaforde, Newcastle Road, Police Station". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

[10] "Two Historic Buildings Protected". build.ie. 4 February 2008. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012.

[11] "Former Police Station, Banbridge Road, Gilford, BT63". propertypal.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010.

[12] "Banbridge / Newry and Mourne Area Plan 2015 District Proposals: Loughbrickland (Page 2 of 2)". planningni.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012.

[TFOR_Telefone-13] "Co. Antrim, Belfast, Cromac Street, No. 001-15 (Telephone House)". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

[14] "Telephone House, Belfast". Flickr. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011.

[TFOR_Cregagh-15] "Co. Antrim, Belfast, Cregagh Road (& Mount Merrion Avenue), Cregagh Estate". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

[TFOR_PO-16] "Rippingham, Thomas Francis O. – Works". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011. (search for "Post")

[TFOR_PO_Hollywood-17] "Appendix 1 – Schedule of Listed Buildings in Holywood Conservation Area". Holywood Conservation Area. Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2011. (search for "Rippingham")

[TFOR_Works-18] "Rippingham, Thomas Francis O. – Works". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720–1940. Retrieved 19 January 2011.

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