fournier street, formerly church street, is a street of 18th century houses in spitalfields, in the london borough of tower hamlets. it runs between commercial street and brick lane. fournier street was the last to be built on the wood-michell estate in spitalfields, london. the houses mainly date from the 1720s and together form one of the most important and best preserved collections of early georgian domestic town-houses in britain. built for french huguenot master silk-weavers and mercers, the houses of fournier street were fitted out with fine wooden panelling and elaborate joinery such as carved staircases, fireplaces and highly detailed door-cases by the master craftsmen of the day. no. 23 fournier street is perhaps the best surviving example of a classic, single-fronted early georgian town house of simple but elegant design. this house retains the original, typical arrangement of cellar-basement, three brick storeys and a mansard garrett with a weather boarded front and wide weaver's windows. |