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In the mid 19th century, Mr William Moxon,
a man of bold initiative, came onto the Dover scene as the contractor
for town drainage, and large works of fortification at the Western
Heights. He took in hand the land known as Maison Dieu Park, which
had been earmarked for residential building but had not yet been developed.
He formulated a general scheme for widening Charlton Back Lane (Maison
Dieu Road) and planned a new road across the river Dour
into Biggin Street (Pencester
Road).
Expecting to make a large fortune out of his various
undertakings, both in Dover and London, he reserved the greater part of
the Maison Dieu Park above Pencester
Road for his own use. It was here that he built Brook House as his
residence. The park, alongside Charlton Back Lane, had been bounded by
an ancient stone wall, which Mr Moxon demolished in 1860, and set back
his iron railings as a boundary to the Brook House grounds. The new road,
which became Maison Dieu Road, was
30 feet wide in accordance with the plans drawn up by the Town Surveyor.
Mr Moxon only occupied Brook
House for a short time. It was afterwards the residence of Major-General
Ellice, Commandant of the South-Eastern District. Subsequently Mr John
Birmingham, the well-known proprietor of the Lord
Warden Hotel who was also Mayor of Dover four times, purchased it.
On retiring from business he made Brook House his residence and died there
in February 1875, aged 80 years. The mansion remained in the hands of
the Birmingham family until August 1886, when it was sold by auction for
£6,000.
Soon after the sale the lower part of the grounds was
used for building. A row of seven houses was built on one side of a short
road called The Paddock. On the opposite side of The Paddock, adjoining
Brook House grounds, a Girls’ High School was built (the building now
forms part of South Kent College).
In 1920 the house was purchased by Dover Corporation
for use as municipal offices. The last private owners were the Misses
Humphreys, to whom the Council paid £5,000 for the property. The Misses
Humphreys vacated the premises in September 1921 having negotiated a tenancy
from the Council until they could move into their new house. Brook House
was then converted by the Corporation to provide offices for the Town
Clerk, Borough Accountant, Medical Officer of Health and other departments.
On the grounds between the house and Maison Dieu Road municipal tennis
courts were laid out. In 1957 a modern extension was built on the back
of the original building to house the Borough Treasurer’s Department.
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Destruction
Day
16 July 1988
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