Lever House is a Grade II listed building, designed in 1895 by architects William and Segar Owen, for William Hesketh Lever and James Darcy Lever who were owners of Lever Brothers soap works.
The office block was extended in 1913–14 by James Lomax-Simpson. The original block is in a single storey with 35 bays; the later block at the rear is in two storeys and has 21 bays.
The middle eleven bays at the front are in stone with a central pedimented doorway and a balustrade. The other bays are in brick with stone dressings and a slate roof. SOURCE: (
visit link)
The Grade II listed description of Lever House given by British Listed Buildings reads as follows;
"BEBINGTON WOOD STREET
SJ 38 SW
(south side)
Port Sunlight
6/284
Lever House
12.2.86
G.V. II
Office building. 1895. By William and Segar Owen. Rear block. 1913-14. By J. Lomax Simpson. Brick with stone dressings, slate roofs. One storey, 35-bay block to street, with 2 storey 21 bay rear block. Central 11 bays of stone.
Top entablature, cornice, and parapet to right of centre. Centre has moulded base, sill course and balustrade; Ionic pilastrade with end quoin strips.
Windows have architraves, keys and segmental pediments and are sashed, no glazing bars; relief carving of wreaths, swags, ribbands and drops.
Central entrance has architrave with key and overlight, cartouche above inscribed "LEVER HOUSE"; flanking panelled pilasters with entablature blocks and open pediment.
Clock above has open segmental pediment and carved surround.
Royal Arms above balustrade. 2 wrought iron bracketed lamps. Wings have applied round arcade with paired windows with stone lintels, bays flanking centre are narrower. End bay has paired entrances under round archivolts and fanlights. Several cross-axial stacks. Rear block similar, all but end 3 bays have balustrade, central panel with date. Windows similar to above, those to centre 5 bays with stone architraves, flanked by bull's eyes in square stone panels. Cross-axial stacks. Interior has richly decorated entrance hall with short flight of steps to upper end, saucer dome and rectangular ceiling light. Entrances have swan-neck pediments. Large office wings to sides have segmental vaulted ceilings, similar wing to rear has 1st floor balcony. Listing NGR: SJ3373783906" SOURCE: (
visit link)
A photograph of clerks seated at rows of wooden desks in one of the offices within the east wing of Lever House at the Sunlight Soap factory, can be seen at the following link: (
visit link)
The Royal Coat of Arms The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, or the Royal Arms for short, is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom.
"In the standard variant used outside of Scotland, the shield is quartered, depicting in the first and fourth quarters the three passant guardant lions of England; in the second, the rampant lion and double tressure flory-counterflory of Scotland; and in the third, a harp for Ireland. The crest is a statant guardant lion wearing the St Edward's Crown, himself on another representation of that crown. The dexter supporter is a likewise crowned English lion; the sinister, a Scottish unicorn. According to legend a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast; therefore the heraldic unicorn is chained, as were both supporting unicorns in the royal coat of arms of Scotland.
In the greenery below, a thistle, Tudor rose and shamrock are depicted, representing Scotland, England and Ireland respectively. This armorial achievement comprises the motto, in French, of English monarchs, Dieu et mon Droit (God and my Right), which has descended to the present royal family as well as the Garter circlet which surrounds the shield, inscribed with the Order's motto, in French, Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shame on him who thinks evil).
The official blazon of the Royal Arms is:
Quarterly, first and fourth Gules three Lions passant gardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure (for England), second quarter Or a Lion rampant within a double tressure flory-counter-flory Gules (for Scotland), third quarter Azure a Harp Or stringed Argent (for Ireland), the whole surrounded by the Garter; for a Crest, upon the Royal helm the Imperial Crown Proper, thereon a Lion statant gardant Or imperially crowned Proper; Mantling Or and Ermine; for Supporters, dexter a Lion rampant gardant Or crowned as the Crest, sinister a Unicorn Argent armed, crined and unguled Proper, gorged with a Coronet Or composed of Crosses patées and Fleurs-de-lis a Chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or. Motto "Dieu et mon Droit" in the compartment below the shield, with the Union Rose, Shamrock and Thistle engrafted on the same stem.
SOURCE: (
visit link)