Off the Beaten Track in Somerset: Hans Price, Architect

Hans Fowler Price was born in Bristol in 1835. He studied architecture under Thomas Denville Barry in the Liverpool area from c1850. He moved to Weston-super-Mare in 1860 and set up in business as an architect and surveyor. He had offices at 5 High Street (1860-61), 1 Sydenham Terrace (1861-74) and 28 Waterloo Street (from 1874 - he designed this building himself).

Hans Price married Jane Plaister Baker in Churchill on 17th September 1862. Hans and Jane had eight children: 6 daughters (Louisa, Minnie, Emily, Harriet, Winifred and Marion) and two sons (George and Hans), all of whom were born in Weston-super-Mare. They first lived at Tyn-y-Coed in Hill Road (now demolished) and from 1898 onwards at 7 Trewartha Park.

Hans Price was the architect who was responsible for the design of many houses and most public buildings in Weston-super-Mare from the 1860s to the early 20th century. He became the consulting architect and surveyor to the Smyth Pigott Estates and designed many villas for them. He mixed and matched architectural styles, including Gothic, Tudor, Classical, Italianate, Renaissance and Moorish. He used locally sourced stone: carboniferous limestone from the Town Quarry and oolitic limestone from Dundry.

Hans Price worked in partnership with several other architects, including Matthias Grosholz (1873-77), Walter Hernaman Wooler (1877-1900) and William Jane (1902-12). He took foreign holidays in several European countries and used these to study various architectural styles and to pick up ideas for future building projects.

The public buildings he designed in Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon included:

Alterations to Wadham Street Baptist Church (1862-4). This building is now home to the Blakehay Theatre. This was Hans Price's first public commission in Weston.
Weston-super-Mare and East Somerset Hospital (1865) in Alfred Street. This was his first major public building. It has been converted into flats more recently.
Birnbeck Pier Toll House and Pier Master's House (1867) and Birnbeck Pierhead buildings (1897)
Clevedon Pier Toll House (1867-9)
Bristol Road Baptist Church (1866).
Sanatorium (1871). This is located in Uphill Road North and has now been converted into flats.
Church Institute (1881) in The Boulevard
Masonic Lodge of St Kew (1881) in The Boulevard. This is currently occupied by the Constitutional Club
The Weston Mercury newspaper office (1885) in the Boulevard
Somerset House (1897-9) in the High Street. This is a terrace of shops. The central part, which housed a market hall burnt down in 1964. The Playhouse Theatre was constructed in its place.
The School of Science and Art (1892) in Lower Church Road. This is now used as a conference centre by Weston College.
Enlargement of the Town Hall (1897) in Walliscote Grove Road
Walliscote Road School (1897)
Locking Road Schools. These have now been converted to flats.
Public Library (1899) at the eastern end of The Boulevard
Quaker Meeting House, 15 Albert Street, Clevedon (1868)
Expansion of the Royal Pier Hotel, Clevedon (1868)
Weston-super-Mare Gaslight Company Workshop and Stores (1912) in Burlington Street. The workshop now houses Weston Museum. This was probably the last project Hans Price completed.

Hans Price laid out the Upper Worthy Estate for the Smyth-Pigott family (1862-3). He was also involved in the design and layout of the Milton Park, Montpelier, Sunnyside, Shrubbery, Whitecross, Coombe Bank, National Freehold Land Society and Swiss Villa Estates. In 1863-4 he designed 54 houses in Woolcott Park, Redland, Bristol with local architect James Adams Clark. He also designed buildings in Shropshire, Herefordshire, Pembrokeshire, Gloucestershire and Sussex.

Hans Price held numerous official posts in Weston-super-Mare, including Town Commissioner (1884-7), chairman of the Weston-super-Mare Gaslight Company's board of directors, vice-president of the Hospital Committee, trustee of the School of Science and Art and director of the Weston-super-Mare Pier Company.

Jane Price died in 1889. Hans Price worked for over 50 years, never retired and died on 27th November 1912. He was buried at Milton Road Cemetery in Weston-super-Mare.