An 18th-century building in Hornchurch has been used as a home, a library and is now in use as an arts centre.
Fairkytes is a Grade II listed Georgian building in Billet Lane.
The name 'Fairkytes' was first recorded around 1520 and is thought to have originated from a local family rather than being the name of a building.
The house has an 18th-century frontage but it is believed to contain older sections dating back to the 1600s or earlier.
According to Havering Libraries, from 1593 to 1657, the property formed part of the neighbouring Langtons estate, owned by Thomas Latham.
By the mid-17th century, John Ellison owned the combined estate and described Fairkytes in his 1657 will as land and buildings occupied by a tenant.
The earliest known resident was Job Alibone, who worked for the London Post Office and is believed to have been a tenant of Ellison’s estate.
In the mid-1700s, the house was rebuilt or significantly remodelled, giving it the Georgian character seen today.
In 1777, Fairkytes was purchased by Richard Wyatt, who also owned Langtons and lived at Fairkytes while his son, Richard Barnard Wyatt, resided at the main estate.
Directly opposite the house, Thomas and Robert Wedlake established the Fairkytes Iron Works in 1784.
One of the building's most notable residents was Joseph Fry, son of the prison reformer and Quaker philanthropist Elizabeth Fry.
Joseph lived at the house from 1870 until his death in 1896, after which his daughter Augusta Fry continued to reside there.
Havering Libraries recalls James Robert Robertson, an engineer for the London, Tilbury and Southend section of the Midland Railway, being at Fairkytes from 1902 until his death.
He was a founder member of Romford Golf Club and captain of Hornchurch Cricket Club from 1888.
During the 20th century, the building saw further changes in occupancy, including James R. Robertson around 1916.
In the 1950s, Fairkytes was purchased by Hornchurch Urban District Council and converted into a branch library and in 1965, with the forming of Havering Council, it was passed to the new authority.
In 1973, the library relocated to a new site in North Street and Fairkytes became the borough’s arts centre - which it continues to be today.
According to Havering Libraries, around £3,500 was spent on decoration and equipment to ready the site as an arts centre.
The original house has been expanded over the years to improve its community offering, including the addition of an annexe at the rear of the building in 1992.
Today, Fairkytes hosts dozens of clubs and societies, as well as classes in arts, languages, and fitness.
Havering Council's website says: "If you’re interested in music, learning a language, keeping fit or saving the environment, there’s a club for you at Fairkytes."
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