35-37 SHIPQUAY ST.

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid-terrace seven-bay three-storey rendered commercial building with shop front on ground floor level and a deep projecting cornice to parapet concealing a hipped roof behind. Built c.1902 to designs by Thomas Johnston on the site of a previous three-storey building. Rectangular on plan with a modern extension to the rear constructed in 1989. Principal elevation faces North West onto Shipquay Street set within the historic city walls adjacent to Shipquay Gate directly on the NE side with the Guildhall immediately outside Shipquay Gate and the River Foyle beyond. The building occupies a prime location, formerly designed for 'Edmiston, Scott & Co., Hardware Merchants'.

Deep projecting moulded cornice with modillions to a hipped roof with a pitched roof return to the rear and an adjoining flat roof extension extending the full length of the site abutting adjacent building No. 3 Bank Place (HB01/19/035B).

Principal elevation is of smooth-rendered painted finish to upper floors, seven bays wide unevenly divided by pilasters with Corinthian capitals; segmental arched headed bays to first floor windows having 1/1 timber sliding sashes; semicircular arched headed bays to second floor level with moulded panels below bays and keystones above with timber casement windows to each bay; moulded string-course between first and second floor levels spanning the full width of the elevation. Shop front with rendered stall riser to ground floor is divided unevenly by pilasters with Corinthian capitals with a plain fascia signage over and a moulded cornice above; left side bay is blank with two square metal ventilation grilles, right side bays have a square headed window to either side of door opening, all concealed by a closed metal roller shutter, the entire shop front has been painted in contrasting colour to upper floors; cast-aluminium circular downpipe to front elevation.

North East and South West sides are adjoined to neighbouring properties No. 39 Shipquay Street (HB01/19/034) & No.33 Shipquay Street (HB01/19/036B); South East elevation to the rear is abutted by three-storey return adjoined to a flat roof extension spanning the full length of the site.

Materials:
Roof Unknown
RWG Cast-iron (NW)
Walling Rendered
Windows Timber sliding sashes (FF) Timber casements (SF)

Setting:
Located on the South East side of Shipquay Street, situated within a terrace row of generously scaled former merchants' townhouses and commercial buildings set within the historic city walls adjacent to Shipquay Gate directly on the NE side with the Guildhall immediately outside the walls and the River Foyle beyond.

Historical information

Nos 35-37 Shipquay Street, a three-storey seven-bay building located at the bottom of Shipquay Street, was constructed in 1902.

Raven’s 1622 plan of Londonderry shows that the layout of Shipquay Street has not been altered since the laying out of the walled city. The map records that Shipquay Street was originally known as ‘Silver Street,’ but the current name had been adopted by the early-18th century. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs (1837) described Shipquay Street’s appearance as ‘imposing but necessarily marred by the broken line of the roofs. This street contains … several respectable private residences’ (OSM, p. 101). Prior to the mid-19th century the character of Shipquay Street was predominantly domestic. However, between 1825 and c. 1850, many of the former merchant and professional residences were converted into commercial premises as new Georgian-style dwellings were constructed in the newly formed suburbs to the north in Edenballymore. In 1849 the Derry Standard recorded that ‘a wonderful transformation has taken place, the houses of private gentlemen having been changed into shops and private businesses’ (Hume).

The Edwardian commercial building at nos 35-37 Shipquay Street was erected on the site of a previous three-storey building that had stood on the same site since at least the early-19th century. Photographs of the street dating from c. 1890 show that the previous building possessed a gable roof, a round-headed doorcase and a shopfront at ground floor. In the 1840s the building was known as Floyd’s Hotel. The Derry Almanac records that prior to 1902 the site was occupied by Aaron Baxter, a plumber, gasfitter and bell hanger. The current building was designed by Thomas Johnston (b. 1861), a local architect who had established an independent practice in 1890 and designed a number of minor commercial and domestic buildings in Derry, Donegal and Tyrone (Dictionary of Irish Architects).

Johnston’s design for nos 35-37 Shipquay Street was described by the UAHS guide for Derry as a ‘three-storey façade, rendered with pilasters and capitals somewhat lacking in rhythm. The whole is held together with strong name fascia, cornice, string courses and upper cornice’ (UAHS guide). Nos 35-37 Shipquay Street was constructed for Edmiston, Scott & Co., Hardware Merchants who continued to occupy the site until the 1970s. The Annual Revisions noted that the upper floors of the building were utilised as offices whilst the entire building was valued at £95 (the building was owned by the Montgomery family until at least the 1970s). Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of the building was increased to £250 but by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) this had been greatly increased to £1,040.

Nos 35-37 Shipquay Street was included in the Historic City Conservation Area in 1977 and was subsequently listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that the ground floor façade of the building was altered in c. 1982 but was returned to its original layout in c. 1989 when the modern extension to the rear of the building was also added. During the 1990s the building was utilised as office premises for Halifax Building Society (NIEA HB Records). During the Second Survey the building was occupied by the Ulster Cancer Foundation.

References

Primary Sources
1. Thomas Raven’s Plan of Londonderry (1622)
2. Porter’s Plan of Londonderry (1799)
3. PRONI OS/6/5/20/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1830)
4. PRONI OS/6/5/20/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1853)
5. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/11 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/16C – Griffith’s Valuation (1856)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/1A-1B – Annual Revisions (1897-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/10 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
9. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
10. Ulster Town Directories (1843-1943)
11. Derry Almanac (1878-1953)
12. First Survey Record – HB01/19/035 (1970)
13. First Survey Image – HB01/19/035 (1977)
14. NIEA HB Records – HB01/19/035
15. Foyle Civic Trust Living City Project – Shipquay Street

Secondary Sources
1. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013 – including Corporation Map of Londonderry (1857).
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. Hume, J., ‘Derry beyond the walls: Social and economic aspects of the growth of Derry 1825-1850’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 2002.
4. Rowan, A. J., ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ London: Yale University Press, 2003.
5. ‘A design guide for the Historic City Conservation Area Londonderry’ Belfast: Department of the Environment, 2012.

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

Evaluation

A three-storey commercial building built in c.1902 on the South East side of Shipquay Street, to designs by Thomas Johnston. The building sits within a terraced row of former merchants' townhouses and commercial buildings in a prime location within the historic city walls, with Shipquay Gate immediately to the North East side. The front elevation is comprised of a shop front on ground floor level with rendered upper floors which are seven bays wide. The bays are divided by Corinthian pilasters and are topped by a deep projecting moulded cornice to the parapet. A modern extension to the rear was constructed in 1989. The irregular rhythm of the front facade creates a visual imbalance, however its architectural detailing is of interest and the building forms an important component of the Historic City Conservation Area.

General comments

Previously HB01/19/035