Crown and Peace Offices

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Neo-Georgian two-storey five-bay sandstone and brick former County Offices, built in 1899 with square-headed windows, sandstone frieze and projecting cornice, pie-ended platform-roof on a slated hipped roof with solid sandstone balustrade to North, West and South side. Set on the East side of Bishop Street Within behind low stone wall withing high metal railings, overlooking the City Walls and Bishop’s Gate to the South-end and St Columb’s Cathedral grounds to the rear.

Symmetrical front elevation facing West to Bishop Street; principal entrance centred on elevation with painted timber six-panelled double doors, two light plain fanlight with shouldered ashlar stone surround flanked by decorative corbel brackets supporting stone cornice above. Rustication to ground floor and Flemish brick bond to first floor. 2/2 timber sliding sash windows with sandstone shouldered surround to first floor windows on sandstone sill course band.

North elevation overlooking small open courtyard, of smooth-render with stone dressings, frieze, deep projecting stone cornice and solid parapet above, 4 bay 2/2 timber sliding sash windows with sandstone sill course to first floor. Recessed West facing sandstone return elevation, set South-east of the Courthouse (HB01/019/002) and linking the latter with the Crown and Peace Offices by forming a small open courtyard. Two square-headed windows and central doorway to ground floor giving access to the Grand Jury Room, semi-circular arched headed windows to first floor with continuous projecting stone cornice and solid parapet with balustrade central bay above.

South elevation faces onto City Walls, smooth-render with sandstone dressings, blank to West-end. Small square-headed 2/2 timber sliding sash window and large 2/4 timber sliding sash window with shouldered sandstone surround to first floor at East-end. Large lead clad dormer window with coupled 2/2 timber sliding sash windows to slate roof.

East elevation to the rear abuts the Courthouse at the North East-end, smooth render, semi-circular arched opening with timber door and plain fanlight above to ground floor. Two square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sash windows and single semi-circular arched 1/1 timber sliding sash window to first floor level. Roof light to slated roof at East-end.

Setting:
Sited north east of the Westmost portion of the City Walls, the building is on the East side of Bishop Street Within behind low stone wall with high wrought-iron railings, adjoining Courthouse (HB01/19/002), with St Columb's Cathedral grounds to the rear, and opposite Bishop Street Freemasons Hall (HB 01/19/006).

Materials:
Roof : Natural Slate
RWG: Cast Iron with hoppers
Walling : Sandstone / Render
Windows: Replacement Timber Sliding Sash
Doors : Original six panel

Historical information

The Crown and Peace Offices, a two-storey five-bay brick and sandstone building, was constructed in 1899 as the Londonderry County Office but currently acts as an extension of the adjoining court house (HB01/19/002). Londonderry’s Court House had been constructed in 1813-17 to a neo-Classical design by the Dublin-based architect, John Bowden. According to Brett, the first extension to the court house was erected in 1836 to the south side of the building, but in 1899 the Londonderry Sentinel reported that ‘for years incessant complaints were made by judges, jurors, and others regarding the inadequate accommodation provided in the County Courthouse for those having to attend Quarter Sessions and Assizes, while the sanitation on several occasions evoked strong expressions of discontent from members of the North-West Bar.’

In 1897 the County Surveyor for Londonderry, Arthur Charles Adair (c. 1824-1903), was contracted to undertake alterations to the court house and to design a building for the County Offices. Adair completed the improvements to the court house in 1897 at an estimated cost of £8,000 before commencing work on the County Offices. The c. 1873 Annual Revisions Town Plan of Londonderry and Victorian-era photographs of Bishop Street record that the current site of the Crown and Peace Offices was originally occupied by a pair of three-storey houses. According to the town plan, the extension of 1836 was demolished to make way for the construction of the new County Offices which were completed in 1899. The two-storey extension block located between the court house and the County Offices was also designed by Adair. The construction of both the extension and the County Offices was carried out by the Bright Bros. of Portadown.

Upon the completion of the new County Offices the Londonderry Sentinel reported that the extension provided ‘the much-needed accommodation [whilst] adding another pleasing addition to the architectural features of the district. In referring to the County Offices the periodical noted that ‘the new building communicated with the old’ and provided offices for the Secretary of the County Council, the County Surveyor and the Solicitor for the County Council.’ The renovation of the court house and the construction of the adjoining County Offices cost an estimated £8,000. The value of the new offices was set at £190 by the Annual Revisions but this was decreased to £180 by the end of the Second Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72).

In 1970 the UAHS guide for Londonderry described the Crown and Peace Offices as ‘a simple austere neo-Georgian two-storey building … carried out in brick and sandstone … the ground floor is in rusticated dressed sandstone, the first floor in red brick with sandstone window dressing and quoins. The frieze, cornice and parapet are in sandstone’ (UAHS guide, p. 19). The Crown and Peace Offices were included in the Historic City Conservation Area in 1977 and were subsequently listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that due to the proximity of the building to the Court House, the Crown and Peace Offices has been repeatedly damaged by bomb explosions intended for the adjoining building. In 1989 the property suffered significant damage to its windows and façade following one such incident (NIEA HB Records). Having been originally designed to provide offices for the officers of the Londonderry County Council and the County Surveyor, the former County Offices now forms part of the adjoining Law Courts (Foyle Civic Trust; Calley, pp 45-46).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/5/20/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1853)
2. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/14 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873)
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/1A-1B – Annual Revisions (1898-1929)
4. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/10 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
5. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
6. Ulster Town Directories (1880-1918)
7. Londonderry Sentinel (30 May 1899)
8. First Survey Record – HB01/19/003 (1970)
9. First Survey Image – HB01/19/003 (1975)
10. NIEA HB Records – HB01/19/003
11. Foyle Civic Trust – Living City Project (Bishop Street)

Secondary Sources
1.Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013.
2.Ferguson, W. S; Rowan, A. J; Tracey, J. J., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in and near the city of Derry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1970.
3.Rowan, A. J., ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ London: Yale University Press, 2003.
4.‘Londonderry Historic City Conservation Area Booklet’ Department of the Environment, 1977.
5.'A Design Guide for the Historic City Conservation Area’ Department of the Environment, 2012.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Archietects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Neo-Georgian two-storey five-bay sandstone and brick former County Offices, built in 1899 to designs by A.C. Adair, the County Surveyor who completed the improvments to the Courthouse at the same time. Situated on the East side of Bishop Street Within behind stone walling with metal railings that are probably late 20th century additions, adjoining Courthouse (HB01/19/002), with which it shares group value.
A simple, austere neo-Georgian two-storey building, occupying a prominent site on Bishop Street and now forming part of the Law Courts. Despite the loss of original windows, sufficent character remains to regard this building as special. The impressive west facing facade incorporates classical architectural features and it is well proportioned with fine sandstone details. The unique quality of its setting overlooking the churchyard to St Columb's Cathedral (HB01/19/001) to the rear (NE), the City Walls and Bishop’s Gate (LDY 014:033) to the South, and Bishop Street Freemasons Hall (HB 01/19/006) directly opposite is of particular interest.