27 Fountain Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single storey random rubble stone faced building, asbestos slated roof with hipped ends and a centre chimney, a projecting gabled and slated porch, two windows on either side of porch with brick surrounds. Since Fountain Hill is exceedingly steep the footpath has a slope of about 1 in 6/7 as it passes the gable end. The retaining wall fronting onto Spencer Road returns up Fountain Hill and an access gateway is made through it to the area in front of the building. The small school yard was to the rear of the building.

Sited at the corner of Fountain Hill and Spencer Road and fronting onto the latter but much elevated above it with a random rubble retaining wall. Building set back about four metres from retaining wall and entrance to this area is from Fountain Hill.

Historical information

A national school was established here c1840s and remained as such until the new school was erected in Malvern Terrace in c 1874. The school was for boys and girls with two classrooms. Teachers in 1874 were Francis McDevitte andd Mrs Tracey. The school is indicated on Piffler & Lowen’s map of 1848-9 and is referred to in Griffiths Valuation of 1858. In the Ordnance Survey Sheet of 1904 and revision of 1908 the school is shown as a smithy and the Derry Almanac & Directory of 1909 records James Elliott, horse shoer as occupant. Before 1865 the address was Fountain Hill as Spencer Road was not constructed until the completion of the Carlisle Bridge at that time.

In the past decade it has become a public house.

References:

Piffler & Cowen’s map 1848-9
Griffith’s Valuation 1858
Ordnance Survey Sheet 1904 and revision of 1908 - Londonderry XIV-7
Derry Almanac & Directory 1874
The History of the Parish of Glendermott 1958 J A Coulter

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An early Victorian two classroom school. An example of the adaptability of this building type - later a smithy, dwelling and then public house