Fincarn Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached symmetrical three-bay single-storey with attic rendered house, built c.1850, with two-storey rear return and lean-to conservatory. L-shaped on plan facing northwest with a rendered outbuilding to the rear. Located on the south-east side of Fincairn Road and set back from the road on a slightly elevated site fronting onto a forecourt lined on each side with modern townhouses, built c.2005.

Pitched natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles, two steel skylights to front and rear pitches and replacement brick chimneystacks with terracotta pots rising from either gable end. Moulded iron guttering to overhanging eaves and iron downpipes. Pebble-encrusted cement rendered walling with painted rusticated soldier quoins and smooth rendered plinth course to front elevation. Painted rough-cast render with smooth rendered plinth course to side elevations and ruled-and-lined rendered walling to rear elevation. Square-headed window openings with painted masonry sills and replacement timber sliding sash windows with ogee horns.

Symmetrical three-bay single-storey front elevation (NW) has a central rendered pedimented entrance breakfront with elliptical-headed door opening with rusticated rendered surround and double-leaf timber panelled door flanked by sidelights and webbed fanlight over. On each side of the breakfront is a 6/6 timber sliding sash window with margin lights. Smooth rendered surrounds to both window openings. Door opens onto four stone steps.

Gabled north-east side elevation has two windows to attic level located at the outer corners and a single off-centre window to ground floor. All 6/6 timber sliding sash.

Two-storey rear elevation to SE with two-storey return to the left and single storey lean-to timber-framed conservatory to the remainder. Single 4/4 timber sliding sash window to exposed section of rear elevation at extreme left. North-east face of return has two 4/4 timber sliding sash windows to first floor level. South-east gabled face of return has a paired set of 4/4 timber sliding sash windows (off-centre) to upper floor and a larger pair of 4/4 timber sliding sash windows to ground floor. SW face of return is blank.

Gabled south-west side elevation has two windows to attic level located at the outer corners and a single window to extreme right side of ground floor. All 6/6 timber sliding sash.

Setting:
Located on a slightly elevated site and set well back on the south-east side of Fincairn Road. A rendered tin-roofed outbuilding to the rear encloses an informal rear yard along with another outbuilding, now converted into a dwelling at the south of the site. The front of the site has been developed with a row of two-storey rendered townhouses on each side, with Fincarn Cottage forming the focal point of the development.

Materials:
Roof Natural slate
RWG Iron
Walling Cement render
Windows Replacement timber sliding sash

Historical information

The 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1830 shows a rectangular structure on the site of the cottage, but does not name it. The occupier of the property at this time was Rev. Henry Carson. The revised Ordnance Survey map of 1853 shows what appears to be two parallel structures, with a connecting passage. The structure to the fore is shorter in length than that to the rear; the latter would appear to be the building shown on the 1830 map. The 1853 map names the property as ‘Fincarn Cottage’.

Firm evidence for the construction of an additional structure on this site after 1830 is provided by a schedule of properties being offered for sale in 1855. This document reveals that Rev. Henry Carson had been issued with a lease for his holding in this townland on 10 September 1845. The lease was for the lives of the lessee, then aged 63, and his wife Mary (nee Henderson), aged 53. According to the schedule, ‘There has been a good and substantial residence built on these premises since date of lease.’ It seems clear, therefore that the later addition, built in front of the existing house was built at some point between 1845 and 1853.

The House Book of 1856 provides additional evidence for the construction of a new house on this site. Two elements are listed for this property and their dimensions and coding are given below.

Building Length Breadth Height
House 41 27 18 (addition to front)
House 52 22 10 (original house to rear)

Griffith’s Valuation (1858) shows the property still in the possession of Rev. Henry Carson, who leased it from Stewart Gordon (a well-known architect). The valuation placed on the buildings was £15.

Rev. Henry Carson was the second son of Henry Carson, a farmer in the Clogher area of County Tyrone. He was educated at Glasgow University (MA 1809) and licensed by the Clogher Presbytery in 1811. He was ordained minister of Glendermott Second Presbyterian Church on 12 March 1816. In 1826 he married a daughter of Hugh Henderson of Dungiven. He retired from the active duties of the ministry in 1855, when an assistant was ordained, and died on 3 January 1870. He was Presbyterian Chaplain of the workhouse in Derry from its establishment until within a month of his death. ‘He always supported a respectable and unblemished reputation and was highly esteemed by his brethren and the clergy of other denominations.’

The Valuation Revision Books show that Robert Henderson had succeeded Rev. Carson by 1877. The House and Building Return of the 1901 census states that there were four windows in the front of the house and nine rooms in occupation. On the other hand, the return for the 1911 census records two windows at front and fourteen rooms in occupation. In 1904 the valuation of the buildings had been reduced from £15 to £12, though no explanation for this change was indicated. In 1914 the occupier of the house was changed from Robert Henderson to James, John and Sarah Henderson (his children). By 1951 the occupier was Thomas Murphy and by 1953 Warren McCandless.

The Valuers and Revaluation records indicate that an inspection of the house was carried out in 1953. A sketch plan of the house shows that it measured 39 feet by 26 feet with a small rear extension of 11 feet by 10½ feet. The dwelling was described as a large old detached house which had been renovated in 1950 and was in excellent condition with modern fireplaces in all of the rooms. At some point around the middle of the 20th century, the original c.1830s structure was demolished, leaving the later addition of 1845-53 as the current dwelling.

Proposals from 2001 to demolish the house and build a housing development were rejected. Instead plans to refurbish the house and build adjoining houses was implemented. A programme of refurbishment was undertaken from late 2006.

References

Primary sources
1. PRONI, Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1830 – OS/6/5/14/1
2. PRONI, Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1853 – OS/6/5/14/2
3. PRONI, Primary Valuation house book, 1856 – VAL/2/B/5/50
4. PRONI, Griffith’s Valuation, 1858
5. PRONI, Valuation map, c. 1908–c.1918, VAL/12/D/5/14D (based on Ordnance Survey map published in 1907)
6. PRONI, Ordnance Survey map, 1933, OS/6/5/14/4
7. PRONI, Valuation Revision Books, 1860-1930, VAL/12/B/32/12A-F
8. PRONI, First Northern Ireland General Revaluation Books: Annual Revision Lists, 1936-57 – VAL/3/C/6/9
9. PRONI, Valuers and Revaluation Binders, 1956-75 – VAL/4/C/6/3/14/8
10. Belfast Newsletter, 5 January 1870
11. NIEA, HB Records

Secondary sources
1. Fasti of the Irish Presbyterian Church, 1613–1840 compiled by James McConnell and revised by his son Samuel G. McConnell (Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society, 1951)
2. Daniel Calley, City of Derry: An Historical Gazetteer to the Buildings of Londonderry (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013)

Online sources
1. 1901 and 1911 census returns: www.census.nationalarchives.ie
2. PRONI, Will Calendars: www.proni.gov.uk
3. Planning Appeals Commission: Appeal by Kearns & Co Ltd against the refusal of listed building consent for the demolition of a dwelling house and its related outbuildings at 31 Fincairn Road, Drumahoe, Londonderry, 2001 (http://applications.pacni.gov.uk/reports/732R.pdf).

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

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached symmetrical three-bay single-storey with attic rendered dwelling, built c.1850 and located on the south-east side of Fincairn Road, Drumahoe, to the south-west of the city of Londonderry. The front of the site has been developed as a modern housing development (built c.2005) with a row of two-storey rendered townhouses on each side, with Fincarn Cottage forming the focal point of the development. Externally the house retains its form and historic detailing while the interior largely retains the original plan form and authentic internal detailing. Despite the loss of the historic setting, the dwelling retains its historic character and is of local interest.