Leinster House, 18th century Dublin townhouse of the Duke of Leinster. It is now the seat of parliament

Historically in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries, a townhouse (or a "house in town") was a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year. However during the Social Season (when major balls and drawing rooms took place), and when parliament was in session, peers and the servants moved to live in their townhouse in the capital. photograph of Irelands parliament, Leinster House. ... photograph of Irelands parliament, Leinster House. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      The term aristocracy refers to a form of government where power is hereditary, and split between a small number of families. ... A country house is a large dwelling, such as a mansion, located on a country estate. ...

In North America, the term townhouse is usually used to refer to what is known as terraced housing in Britain. A street of British terraced housing In architecture and city planning, a terrace, rowhouse, or townhouse (United States) is a style of housing since the late 18th century where identical individual houses are cojoined into rows. ...

United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland

Henrietta Street, the street contains some of the oldest and largest Georgian townhouses in Dublin. All were converted into tenements in the 19th century.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland most townhouses were terraced. Only a small minority of them, generally the largest, were detached, but even aristocrats whose country houses had grounds of hundreds or thousands of acres, often lived in terraced houses in town. For example the Duke of Norfolk owned Arundel Castle in the country, while his London house was a terraced house called Norfolk House in St. James's Square - although that particular terraced house was over 100 feet (30 metres) wide. However, the British and Irish architectural term for a house with party walls with its neighbours on both sides was always "terraced house", not townhouse. There was little difference between the more modest terraced townhouses of less opulent members of the aristocracy, and the terraced houses of wealthy middle class Londoners, but they were generally located in different districts. Henrietta Street in Dublin - my image, no c/r This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder. ... Henrietta Street in Dublin - my image, no c/r This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder. ... A street of British Victorian/Edwardian terraced homes. ... Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk holding the baton of the Earl Marshal. ... Arundel Castle Arundel Castle in West Sussex, England, is one of the most impressive and complete castles remaining in Britain. ... Norfolk House, at 31 St James’s Square, London, was built in 1722 for the Duke of Norfolk. ... St Jamess Square in 1750, looking north St. ...

Many aristocratic townshouses were demolished or ceased to be used for residential purposes following the First World War. In the post World War II period large terraced houses in general in London and other British cities were divided into flats or converted into offices. However, in the early 21st century this trend is being reversed to some extent, as there is less demand for old houses as offices nowadays since open plan layouts are preferred, and the number of very rich people in London has risen. For example, in 2004, the Grosvenor Group sold two grand terraces houses in Belgrave Square which had been in office use, for reconversion to family houses. The asking price was £12 million each. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Grosvenor Group is a property company which is privately owned by the Duke of Westminster, who is the third wealthiest man in the United Kingdom after Lakshmi Mittal and Roman Abramovich. ... The north east side of Belgrave Square soon after construction Belgrave Square is one of the grandest 19th century squares in London. ...

Nowadays British property developers and estate agents often call new terraced houses townhouses, probably because the aristocratic pedigree of terraced housing is widely forgotten, and for many people the main mental association of terraced housing is with working class terraced housing, especially in poor districts in the north of England. "Townhouse" still has more exclusive connotations.

Canada and United States

A group of townhouses in Bristol, Tennessee.

Townhouses and townhomes are popular^{[citation needed]} in Canada and the United States as cheaper alternatives to single-family homes. However, in major metropolitan areas of the United States where land is at a premium, the ownership of even a townhouse connotes wealth. Some examples of cities where townhouses are occupied almost exclusively by the wealthy are New York, Boston, Toronto, and San Francisco. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 182 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Townhouse Metadata This file contains additional... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 182 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Townhouse Metadata This file contains additional... Nickname: The Birthplace of Country Music Motto: A Good Place To Live Coordinates: Country United States State Tennessee County Sullivan Mayor Jim Messimer Area    - City 76. ... NY redirects here. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

"Townhomes" usually consist of non-uniform units in suburban areas that are designed to mimic detached or semi-detached homes. "Rowhomes," on the other hand, consist of several adjacent, uniform units usually found in urban areas on the east coast such as Baltimore and Philadelphia. Flag Seal Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United... Nickname: Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States Commonwealth Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Government  - Mayor John F. Street (D) Area  - City 369. ...

In Canada, and especially in Ontario, townhouses are split into two categories:

• In condominium townhouses, the purchaser owns only the interior, while the building itself is owned by a condominium corporation. The corporation is jointly owned by all the owners, and charges them fees for general maintenance and major repairs.
• Freehold townhouses are exclusively owned, without any condominium aspects.

"Stacked townhouses" have multiple units vertically (typically two), normally each with its own private entrance from the street. This article refers to a form of housing. ... Fee simple, also known as fee simple absolute or allodial, is a term of art in common law. ...

Australia

In Australia, townhouses are generally found in complexes. Large complexes often have high security, resort facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, parks and playground equipment. Typically, a townhouse has a Strata Title, i.e. a type of title where the common property (landscaped area, public corridors, building structure etc.) is owned by a corporation of individual owners and the houses on the property are owned by the individual owners.

Commonly in the suburbs of major cities an old house on a large block of land is demolished and replaced by a short row of townhouses, built 'end on' to the street for added privacy.

See further at semi-detached. Semi-detached housing (usually abbreviated to semi, as in three-bedroom semi) consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each houses layout is a mirror image of its twin. ...

See also

• duplex
• semi-detached
• terrace
• list of house types

A duplex house is a two-unit apartment building or condominium, usually indistinguishable from a normal house on the exterior. ... Semi-detached housing (usually abbreviated to semi, as in three-bedroom semi) consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each houses layout is a mirror image of its twin. ... A street of British terraced housing In architecture and city planning, a terrace, rowhouse, or townhouse (United States) is a style of housing since the late 18th century where identical individual houses are cojoined into rows. ... Residential dwellings can be built in a large variety of configurations. ...

Famous townhouses

Among the most famous townhouses are:

• 10 Downing Street - the residence of the First Lord of the Treasury (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom)

• 11 Downing Street - the residence of the Second Lord of the Treasury (Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom)

• Spencer House - formerly the London residence of the Earls Spencer

• Marlborough House - the residence of the Prince of Wales and later Queen Mary the Queen Mother (1936-1953) (now the Commonwealth Secretariat)

• Clarence House - the residence of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and now the residence of Charles, Prince of Wales

• Leinster House - residence of the Duke of Leinster (Ireland's premier duke) and now the seat of Oireachtas Éireann, the Irish parliament.

• Powerscourt House - Dublin residence of Viscount Powersourt, a prominent Irish peer. It was sensitively converted into an award-winning shopping centre in the 1980s. (See an image of one of its decorated ceilings here.)

Georgian Dublin consisted of five Georgian squares, which contained the townhouses of prominent peers. The squares were Merrion Square, St. Stephen's Green, Fitzwilliam Square, Ruthland Square (now called Parnell Square) and Mountjoy Square. Many of the townhouses in these squares are now offices while some have been demolished. Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney stand in front of the famous main door to Number 10. ... The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, usually but not always the Prime Minister. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... 11 Downing Street (commonly known as Number 11), is the official residence of the Second Lord of the Treasury, who in modern times has always been the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British cabinet minister responsible for all financial matters. ... Spencer House is a large mansion in St. ... The title Earl Spencer was created in 1765 in the Peerage of Great Britain for John Spencer, 1st Viscount Spencer, a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. ... Marlborough House, London Marlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London. ... The Prince of Wales Feathers. This Heraldic badge of the Heir Apparent is derived from the ostrich feathers borne by Edward, the Black Prince. ... Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 1867 – 24 March 1953) was the Queen Consort of George V. Queen Mary was also the Empress of India and Queen of Ireland. ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1999)  -  Ransford Smith Establishment  -  as British Commonwealth 1926   -  as the Commonwealth 1949  Membership 53 sovereign states Website thecommonwealth. ... Clarence House, London Clarence House is a royal home in London, situated in The Mall. ... Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite; 4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002), was the Queen Consort of George VI from 1936 until his death in 1952. ... The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948), is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... Leinster House The former palace of the Duke of Leinster. ... The Duke of Leinster (referring to Leinster and, unlike the Province, pronounced Linster) is Irelands premier peer. ... The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of the Republic of Ireland1. ... Irish Palladianism. ... Georgian Dublin is a phrase used that has two interwoven meanings, to describe a historic period in the development of the city of Dublin from 1714 (the beginning of the reign of King George I of Great Britain and of Ireland) to the death in 1830 of King George IV... Merrion Square is situated on the south side of Dublin city centre and is considered one of the citys finest Georgian squares. ... St. ... Parnell Square (Cearnóg Parnell in Irish, formerly Rutland Square) lies just off the north end of OConnell Street in the city of Dublin, Republic of Ireland. ... Parnell Square (formerly Ruthland Square) lies just off the north end of OConnell Street. ...

165 Eaton Place - residence of the Bellamy family in "Upstairs, Downstairs"

Additional reading

• Daisy, Countess of Fingall, Seventy Years Young (The acclaimed autobiography of an Irish peer's wife, covering the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Though currently out of print the book is periodically reprinted.)

References

• Townhouses
• Condominium/Townhouses
• Silicon Valley Townhouses