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Harrison Smith & Co. Portable House Builders on Dollman Street

K

KenyaLife

New Member
Hello!

I live in Kenya and am renting a house that was built on the outskirts of Nairobi in 1901. There are brass plates on the doors that read:

Harrison Smith & Co
Portable House Builders
Dollman St
Birmingham, England

I would love to find out more information about the factory and its history if anyone knows. The house retains most of its original fixtures and was shipped in crates from the UK to Mombasa, put on a train to Nairobi, then carted out to the Athi plains and assembled there. It is asbestos and wood on iron stilts to prevent termite damage. Utterly fascinating. If I get the hang of it, I will post some photos.

Thanks for any insights you may have to share!

Jennie
 
Jennie
As Colin said, neither the firm (nor the address below) is listed in directories in 1900
From Kellys directories:
1903-05 Harrison, Smith & Co. makers of wood & iron buildings &c, 109-111
Dollman St
1910-21 Harrison, Smith Buildings Ltd, . makers of wood & iron buildings&c , 109-111 Dollman st
1932-33 Harrison, Smith Buildings Ltd. builders, & makers of wood & iron buildings, portable garages, bungalows &c. 107 Dollman street
1936-66 Harrison Smith Buildings Ltd. bldrs. 471 Lichfield rd.Aston 6
1967-73 Harrison Smith Buildings Ltd. Portable buildings,. 471 Lichfield rd.Aston 6
Kellys only go up to 1973
Mike

 
Wow! Most helpful. I think the incorporation date (which postdates the house) is probably just that--the date of incorporation and not the start date of the factory. We know for sure the house was erected in 1901, as there are ample documents relating to the house in the Kenya National Archives and the McMillan Library. I checked Dollman St. on Google maps and see that the factory would have been right by the railroad tracks. That makes sense, as the houses were put into crates and would be sent to the dockyards for shipping to Kenya--then put onto another train.

Below is a photo of the house as it looked last year, as well as a close-up of the Harrison Smith nameplate. We are in the process of restoring it, bringing back all the original glory. I'll have to post follow-up photos when we finish!

Thanks again,
Jennie
IMG_3779.jpg
IMG_3801.jpg
 
hi jennie and welcome to the forum...so pleased that you managed to get some info off our members...thanks also for the pic of your house in kenya it looks a lovely area...

its just a thought but i was wondering if harrison smith and co had anything to do with the building of the prefab houses here in birmingham...

lyn
 
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