Lismara House
Lismara House, Whiteabbey, was designed in 1850 by the celebrated architect Charles Lanyon, and overlooks Belfast Lough in Whiteabbey. It was built for John Finlay, and later occupied by James Hind, the owner of the Durham Street Weaving Co, followed by Charles Lanyon's son, Herbert.
The next resident, in 1890, was Edward Robinson, one of the founders of Robinson & Cleaver, the famous department store, who furnished the house with Objects D'Art from around the world. Following his death, the house (in 1915) became the residence of Sir Crawford McCullagh, 16 times Lord Mayor of Belfast, and proprietor of the Classic Cinema on Castle Lane and Castle Buildings on Castle Place - the epitome of Edwardian shopping in the city. It was he and his family who entertained President Eisenhower on a visit to Whiteabbey in August 1945. The house was renamed Abbeydene by Sir Crawford's son after his father's death in 1948.
Abbeylands House
Abbeylands House, Whiteabbey, was a two-storey Victorian house, with mullioned windows in the centre of its symmetrical front.
It had shallow, curved bows on either side of the front; a single-storey Ionic porch; narrow pedimented attic storey with three narrow windows in the centre; and a balustraded roof parapet. Abbeylands was burnt to the ground in 1914 by the Suffragette movement.
Hazlebank House
Hazelbank was once a private estate owned by James Mackie of Mackie Engineering, a large textile engineering plant and one of the largest employers in Belfast. All of his sons (photographed) followed him into the business before a decline in engineering saw Mackie's, along with other giants disappear from our industrial heritage. Interestingly, the company was given over to its employees to run as a workers co-operative and ran until 1999. James Mackie lived here until he died in 1943.
The estate had a walled garden and orchard with the original house dating back to 1796. It was enlarged in the 1850s then replaced in the late 19th century by a house with a conservatory.
Today, the park which is well equipped with toilets, a play park and picnic areas is regarded as one of the nicest public parks in Northern Ireland and is well worth a visit.
Crawford McCullagh & Family
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