17 High Street, St Albans

Image: © Jo and Steve Turner Taken: 20 Apr 2013

Grade II Listed 17th century House. Although bearing the date 1665 it is much older and probably 15th century. With no provision made for heating it was probably built as a lock up shop. It was once owned by Edward Strong a master mason who worked with Christopher Wren on the rebuilding of St Paul's. On his death in 1723 it passed to his daughter Elizabeth New. The Fisk family came to St Albans in 1834 and by 1883 owned four properties between here and George Street. James Fisk, who was Mayor 1878, 1883 and 1892, took over the running of the business in 1878 and in 1899 his son William, also Mayor 1912, who purchased No.17 in 1908. No.19 ‘The Little Red Lion’ public house lost its licence in 1911 and William purchased it so running a shop that stretched from 17, the boot and shoe department, down to 33 high street. The curved glass windows in the shop frontage were put in sometime between 1880 and 1910. Fisk's became Blundell's in 1961 who occupied it until 1972. Since then it has been many shops including a double glazing store, a gift shop and in 2010 the Shaken Cow milk bar.

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