Star Cocoa House Bodfor Street/ Kinmel Street Rhyl

THE NEW “STAR" COCOA HOUSE. OPENING CELEBRATION - This handsome and commodious building was formally opened on Tuesday last, a luncheon being held to celebrate the occasion. The premises, which are situate at the corner of Bodfor Street and Kinmel Street, have been built for Miss Ruth Evans, of Preswylfa, Rhyl, and Hurst House, near Prescot, from plans by her architects Messrs C. O. Ellison and Son, Liverpool and London, and under whose superintendence the work has been most ably executed by Mr Thomas Whitley, builder, Aquarium Street, Rhyl. The entire cost to Miss Evans will be at least £5000. Externally and internally the building is a most magnificent one,—its outward appearance is imposing and an ornament to the town, while the internal arrangements leave nothing to be desired.

All who have had the pleasure of inspecting it unanimously testify that they have never seen so large a building so well arranged for the purpose for which it was intended. The site is somewhat limited in area, and it seems astonishing what a number of rooms have been arranged thereon, not an inch of space being lost, and what is of the utmost importance—light and plenty of it, has been secured everywhere. The corner of the two streets Miss Evans has retained as a shop for general purposes, and it has one of the moat commanding windows in the town. The rest of the premises is set apart for the use of the Cocoa House Company, and contains on the ground level three cocoa rooms of varying sizes, each in communication with the central bar, and served direct thers from, the latter in turn adjoining the kitchen, so securing the most perfect service with the least outlay of labour, and the necessary supervision—the Manageress being in a position to see from her bar into each room. On this floor there are also storerooms, boiler and cooking rooms, for visitors and inmates, and other conveniences. On the first floor there is a large billiard and reading room, females' reading room, library, lava- tory and W.C., and several bedrooms, whilst on the upper door" thore are 110 It;;IO¡; tliau 20 bedrooms, with bathroom, housemaid's and water closet arrangements, and every modern convenience. The exterior is designed in what is llarly known as the Queen Anne style, treated with boldness and simplicity, and whilst inexpensive is effective, and eminently suited to the purposes of the building. The principal entrances are by a deeply recessed doorway in Kinmel Street, and another in connection with a large business-like looking window in Bodfor Street, there being also a back entrance for service. The principal rooms have large projecting windows, some square and others bays, on corbels. And the fronts to both streets are well relieved and broken in outline by half-timber gables and dormers, a specially picturesque effect being obtained at the corner by the square angle of the upper floors projecting over the splayed portion below, and supported, by a quaint bracket, from which a lamp is suspended. The building is built of red bricks with white stone dressing. The furnishing, too, is neat and elegant, the greater portion of this work having been entrusted to our young tradesmen, Messrs Rhydwen Jones and Davies and the manner in which they executed so extensive an order is highly creditable to them. Judging from the appearance of the Roman stone pattern of linoleum, with border to match, and the furniture and bedsteads in the respective bedrooms, we should say that Miss Evans could not have placed the order in better hands. As a proof of the completeness and the thoughtfulness with which the rooms are furnished, we may mention one simple but striking fact; in each of the 36 bedrooms there is a handsomely-bound Bible placed. The billiard-room, perhaps, is one of the finest in the whole building. In this well-lighted and airy room there are two very large and expensive oil-paintings, by Rosa Datavoli, who was born at Frankford in 1005, and died at Rome in 1705. It is stated that each of these cost £500. The billiard- table is by Burroughes and Watts, and is pronounced a very superior one. All the other rooms—bar- rooms, sitting-rooms, bed-rooms, &c., are also handsomely fitted up, and have in them everything necessary to convenience and comfort. The Rhyl Star Cocoa House may justly be to be one of the best of its kind in the kingdom.

Reference    Rhyl Adveriser 24 December 1885 page 3
Archive        Flintshire Building Control Records.