2, 3 AND 4 SHIPQUAY PLACE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Victorian mid-terrace four-bay two-storey with attic level red brick commercial building with sandstone dressings and shop frontage to ground floor level. Built c.1882. Rectangular on plan with a two-storey cement rendered unpainted rear return with slated pitched roof. Principal elevation faces north west onto Shipquay Place, set on the edge of the pavement adjacent to Shipquay Gate and Historic City Walls. No's 1-5 are treated as a single composition and built as part of a terrace row of commercial buildings of similar type lining the south east side of Shipquay Place.

Natural slate pitched roof to main building, recessed attic storey set behind a low stone parapet wall and deep projecting cornice below to front elevation. No chimney stacks.

Principal elevation (N-E) is of red brick 'Flemish brick bond' on upper floors with stone dressings to window surrounds, modern shop fronts with modern coloured signage on ground floor level, moulded stone cornice above signage with decorative carved acanthus leaf detail; semicircular arch headed windows on first floor with moulded stone architrave surround and angle roll detail to chamfered window reveals, continuous stone sill-course and stone string-course to the spring of the arch at window heads with carved stone decorative acanthus leaf detail, central window bays are paired, flanked by stone pilasters of the Doric order with dentilled capitals, outer bays are aligned above each shop front flanked by a stone pilaster of the same to either side, all windows are replacement 1/1 timber sliding sashes with horns; large-scale projecting stone cornice above first floor window bays has a modillion band and frieze below, low stone parapet above to attic level has guilloche stone detail to frieze and open ironwork railings with moulded cornice above, large circular date stone with inscription '1859' to the centre, topped by a carved stone leaf detail and metal finial above; corrugated metal cladding to attic level with replacement timber casement windows.

N-E and S-W sides are adjoined to neighbouring properties No. 1 & 5 Shipquay Place (HB01/19/043A/C).

S-E elevation to the rear is abutted by a two-storey with attic level rear with smooth-rendered unpainted finish facing onto shared rear courtyard. The fenestration pattern is irregular; with replacement timber sliding sash window to rear elevation and replacement timber casement windows to rear return, ground floor windows have metal window bars, uPVC rainwater goods to rear and return. Full access to rear was not possible.

Pitched slate roof to main roof and rear return has black clay ridge tiles; small modern roof light with three equal panels to rear return, centred on ridge to west end.

Materials:
Roof Natural Slate
RWG uPVC
Walling Brick with stone dressings (corrugated steel cladding behind parapet)
Windows Timber Sliding Sash / Timber casement windows

Setting:
Located on the SE side and to the lower end of Shipquay Street directly overlooking Shipquay Place and The Guildhall to the north end. Situated within a terrace row of five generously scaled red brick commercial buildings of similar type set back from the pavement adjacent to Shipquay Gate and City Walls on the south side set within the Historic City Conservation Area.

Historical information

Nos 2-4 Shipquay Place, a two-and-a-half-storey red brick commercial building (flanked by three-storey wings at No. 1 and No. 5 Shipquay Place – HB01/19/043A&C), was constructed in 1882. Calley described nos 1-5 Shipquay Place as ‘one of the liveliest commercial buildings in the city and [one that] is treated as a single composition’ (Calley, p. 360).

Late-19th century photographs record that the current site of nos 1-5 Shipquay Place was originally occupied by a terrace of three and four-storey commercial buildings. A large four-storey warehouse, which was utilised as a ships chandlers and bonded stores, dominated the row. The terrace was demolished c. 1880 to make way for the current buildings which were designed by John Guy Ferguson. One of Londonderry’s most prominent citizens, Ferguson (c. 1829-1901) was an architect, civil engineer and surveyor who was also local architect to the Church of Ireland and was responsible for the design of many of Londonderry’s most important civil, ecclesiastical and commercial buildings in the late-19th century. Ferguson was responsible for the design of the original Guildhall (which was rebuilt in 1908-12 following a fire) and designed nos 1-5 Shipquay Place towards the end of his career (DIA). Following the construction of the first Guildhall in 1887 Shipquay Place became a public square. Due to its proximity to the commercial centre of the city at Shipquay Street, the civic centre at the Guildhall, and its nearness to the quayside, Shipquay Place became one of Londonderry’s main hubs (photographs dating from the late-19th century show that the square was always filled with coachmen).

Nos 1-5 Shipquay Place was constructed in 1882 on land leased by The Honourable The Irish Society. The buildings were constructed along with the neighbouring nos 3-29 Foyle Street which formed a single composition. Nos 2-4 Shipquay Place, the two-and-a-half-storey central block, consisted of three ground floor retail units with the upper floors being utilised as a photographic studio. The three buildings were leased by Alexander Ayton, a local photographer (the pediment over nos 2-4 Shipquay Place is inscribed ‘Established 1859’ but this refers to the establishment of Ayton’s first studio in Londonderry and does not refer to the building on Shipquay Place). In the 1880s Ayton occupied No. 3 Shipquay Place (the studio and the central ground floor retail unit) whilst No. 2 was occupied by John Tyler & Co., and No. 4 was occupied by seed merchant Alban Goodman. The Annual Revisions set the total rateable value of the three buildings at £104. Nos 1-5 Shipquay Place was recorded on the c. 1873-1910 Annual Revisions plan of Londonderry which depicted the building along its current layout (possessing a three-storey return to the rear of nos 2-4). Photographs of nos 1-5 Shipquay Place (c. 1910) records that few changes have been made to the buildings since the turn of the 20th century but the large skylights on the gabled roof, which were used for Ayton’s photography studio, have been removed and slated over.

Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) nos 2-4 Shipquay Place continued to be leased by Alexander Ayton’s estate (Ayton died in 1900) and had been increased in value to £200. In the 1930s the central retail unit and upper floors were occupied by Robert Alexander Cunningham who had a drapers shop and showrooms at the site. The adjoining shop units changed occupant regularly. In 1964 the upper floors of the building were occupied by the Singer Sewing Machine Co. Ltd. whilst the ground floor units remained in use as retail shops (No. 4 Shipquay Place was a chemists in the 1950s-1970s. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of nos 2-4 Shipquay Place had been increased to £146.

The UAHS guide for Londonderry described nos 1-5 Shipquay Place as ‘a good block, magnificently handled; the designer made the most of the functional elements he had to express. The centre piece is well done and the character of the former photographic studio is well expressed’ (UAHS guide, p. 43). Nos 1-5 Shipquay Place were included in the Historic City Conservation Area in 1977 and were listed in 1978. The NIEA HB Records note that nos 1-5 Shipquay Place was severely damaged in 1976 when a bomb exploded outside the building destroying all its original glazing and causing heavy damage to its facade. A restoration of the building was carried out in 1977 which restored the Victorian facade to its original appearance. In c. 1999 the 1st and 2nd floors of nos 2-4 Shipquay Place were converted into residential apartments (NIEA HB Records). During the Second Survey nos 2-4 Shipquay Street remained in commercial use although the original Victorian shop fronts have been replaced with modern ones.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/11 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910)
2. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/11A-11ZD – Annual Revisions (1860-1897)
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/1A-1B – Annual Revisions (1897-1929)
4. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/10 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
5. PRONI VAL/4/B/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
6. Ulster Town Directories (1880-1943)
7. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
8. First Survey Record – HB01/19/043B (No Date)
9. First Survey Image – HB01/19/043B (No Date)
10. NIEA HB Records – HB01/19/043B

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. ‘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/

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Victorian mid-terrace four-bay two-storey with attic level red brick commercial building with stone dressings. Located on the south east side of Shipquay Place, to the immediate south of the Guildhall, and immediately outside the city walls, No’s 2,3 & 4 Shipquay Place are located between No’s 1 & 5 Shipquay Place (HB01/19/043A&C). Built c.1882 to designs by John Guy Ferguson (1829-1901), one of Londonderry’s most prominent architects who was responsible for the design of many of the city’s most important civil, ecclesiastical and commercial buildings in the late-19th century. Ferguson was also responsible for the design of No’s 3-29 Foyle Street (HB01/19/044A-E) (built 1882-83) with which No’s 1-5 Shipquay Place were treated as a single composition. Despite the modern signage to the front facade, No’s 2,3 & 4 retain much historic detailing to the upper floors, topped by a large circular stone carved date stone and they form the central element between the book-ends of No’s 1 & 5. This terrace is unique in its relationship to the Historic City Walls. No’s 2,3 & 4 have group value with this range of commercial buildings and the Historic City Conservation Area is enhanced by their presence.