Discovering Local History
Housing in Stoke-on-Trent
The Villas (London Road, Stoke)
The Villas in Stoke was designed for the upper-middle classes. Resident here in 1891 were 128 people living in 21 houses.
Many of these houses had live-in servants and most were headed by people employed in professional and managerial occupations including several earthenware manufacturers, an insurance agent, bank clerk and a curate. A French born earthenware artist (Louis Marc Emmanuel Solon) and his family were also living at number 1.
Plan of a typical house at The Villas
No 1 The Villas - home of Louis Solon
The designer was Charles Lynam who was educated at Christ's Hospital School, London, worked for two years with his father then was articled to a London architect.
He joined his father's business in 1850, and in that year, through the influence of Herbert Minton, was appointed architect for the Stokeville Building Society, and designed 24 'superior' houses – 'The Villas' – for the Society. This district had the distinction of being the first designated conservation area in Stoke on Trent and a number of the houses are 'listed'.
next: is Ashford Street - terraced housing in Shelton
previous: was The Mount - home of Josiah Spode II
biography on Louis Solon
