Learmount School & Teacher’s House,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three joining structures forming an L shaped plan. A single storey school house (Learmount Development Group Premises) with hipped slate roof, hooded metal lattice framed windows and white harling render. A storey and a half school masters house (Mr Gormley’s house) perpendicular to the school with hipped slate roof, central brick chimney, two timber dormers, sash windows with Y shaped wooden tracery in a triangular headed opening and white harling render. The third building is two simple single storey barns aligning with the schoolmaster’s house, probably formerly thatched, now with red tin roof. This has a similar harling render.

The school teacher’s house and barns face west. The entrance to the school is in its west wall. Unfortunately this entrance to the school has been marred by the recent renovations. A disabled access ramp has been provided with a handrail totally inappropriate to the style of the rest of the building. This is doubly unfortunate as this is the first facade viewed from the entrance drive. The south wall of the school has four windows as described above. The north wall has three windows each minus the hood moulding. The west wall of the house has two windows described above. (9 panes upper sash, two lower) and a green door with a triangular fanlight (no tracery) aligning with the windows. The two dormers symmetrical on the facade are painted green and are small. To the rear one similar window lights the hall.

The west facade of the barn has one sash window (4 panes) two doors painted green and two small fixed windows. There is one small fixed window to the rear.

Historical information

1824: Master James McCloskey, 22 children ‘a new schoolhouse is building’ connected with no societies.
1834: Master Hugh McLaughlin, 46 children ‘schoolhouse slated’ connected with Kildare Street Society.
1838? ‘A public school built by Mr Beresford, cost 240 pounds a large slated house, established 1824’.
Master Hugh McLaughlin, 63 children. (Source Ordnance Survey memoirs).

The school was built in 1824 by Beresford the local landowner. There is no mention of the schoolmaster’s house in the Memoirs but it is clearly marked on the 1831 map. The building was used as a school until the 1960s.

It was rented during 1970s by The Faughan Valley Fishing Tackle Company.

The building was renovated for the Learmount Community Group in 1996 by F M Corr & Associates architects, of Derry.

References:
Primary Sources:
1. OS Map 1st Edition 1831 Co Londonderry 29
2. 'Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.28. Parishes of County Londonderry IX', ed Angelique Day & Patrick McWilliams (QUB, 1995) p.3; p.72, p73, p.77.

Secondary Sources:
1. Olly McGilloway 'Along the Faughan Side' Blackstaff Press 1986 p.15.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A fine group of early 19th century buildings in a picturesque location. The ‘gothick’ style of their windows is particularly complimentary to the small church nearby (HB01/01/011) which is of a similar sub-gothic style. The buildings are well maintained and recently renovated. The plan is unusual in that the house is expressed as a separate building at right angles to the school. They form a fitting courtyard before the entrance to the church. The only wrong note is the disabled handrail, it should have been executed as shown on the architects drawings of 1996. Also of note is construction of the building by the Beresford family and thus its stylistic relationship to other buildings built by them in the village. (HB01/01/013 and HB01/01/019)