26 PUMP ST.

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Late-Georgian mid terrace four-storey over basement two bay rendered double-pile townhouse. Built pre 1830, together with No.28, as a pair of double-pile houses situated within a terrace row of similar houses of this type lining the east side of Pump Street. Principal elevation faces north-west onto Pump Street, set behind a low rendered painted wall with cast-iron railings above. Situated within the Cathedral Quarter of the Historic Walled City. Natural slate to main pitched roof with a large rendered chimney stack rising from the gable end on north side with six circular buff clay pots.

Principal elevation (north-west) has lined-rendered painted finish; all window openings are square-headed on masonry painted sills, ground floors bays are not aligned with window bays on upper floors; two replacement timber casement windows to basement level, all windows above are 6/6 timber sliding sashes with third floor windows diminished. Two bays on ground floor, left of a recessed semicircular arched entrance door opening. The entrance is raised three-steps above pavement level; steps shared with adjoinging building No.28. Replacement doorcase with plain architrave surround with a six-panel timber painted entrance door having fanlight above with timber glazing bars. Moulded plaster surround to door case has been removed. Natural slate double-pile pitched roof with cast-iron rainwater goods to front elevation.

North-east and south-west sides are adjoined to neighbouring property No.24 and No.28 Pump Street (HB01/19/068E & HB01/19/068G).

South-east elevation to the rear is of four-storeys, cement rendered finish, painted to ground and first floor levels, abutted by an external full-height metal fire escape staircase enclosed by corrugated perspex. The fenestration pattern is irregular to the rear having both timber sliding sash and casement windows. Replacement uPVC rainwater goods to rear.

Materials:
Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron (NW) uPVC (SE)
Walling Render
Windows Timber Sliding Sash and Casements

Setting:
Located on the west side of Pump Street and overlooking St. Columb's Cathedral and Churchyard at the rear. No.26 Pump Street is built as a pair of generously scaled double-pile townhouses with gable end facing onto London Street. Set within a long terraced row of houses of similar type stepping down the hill towards the Foyle river, within the Cathedral Quarter Area and of the Historic City Conservation Area.

Historical information

Pump Street, extending from Ferryquay Street towards St. Columb’s Cathedral, is predominantly characterised by its late-Georgian buildings but the street itself likely dates from the laying out of the walled city in the early-17th century. Both Nicholas Pynnar’s plan (1618-19) and Thomas Raven’s maps of Londonderry (1622; 1625) depicted a street in the southeast quadrant of the new city extending off from Gracious Street (Ferryquay Street) that occupied the exact current layout of Pump Street. These early maps were intended as proposals with many of the buildings depicted on them not being constructed until later. However the plans did accurately reproduce the current geometric pattern of the city, suggesting that side streets such as London Street, Castle Street and Pump Street were also laid out in the early-17th century. Pump Street was first named on Francis Nevill’s 1690 plan of the siege of Derry (but Calley states that the street was named after the town’s pump in c. 1630). The map, which is very accurate in its depiction of Londonderry’s streets and buildings (such as the Cathedral, Magazine and Market House) shows that buildings had been constructed on both sides of Pump Street by the late-17th century.

No traces of Plantation houses have been found within the city walls. The earliest building on Pump Street is the Convent of Mercy (HB01/19/067A) which was built in 1780 as the King’s Arms Hotel (OSM, p. 118). Pump Street was largely redeveloped in the late-Georgian period with many of its current buildings dating from c. 1800. Until recent decades Pump Street was predominantly domestic in character and during the 19th century many merchants operated their businesses from their homes leading one commentator to describe Pump Street as ‘a fine street [that] was the haunt of doctors, dentists, nuns, newspapers, lady tailors and others’ (Calley, p. 311). Even after the city’s merchant and professional characters began to move out of the walled city towards the new terraced streets in Edenballymore in the mid-19th century, Pump Street retained its residential character and ‘by 1856 therefore it was still a street in which the nobility and gentry resided’ (Hume, pp 9-10).

No. 26 Pump Street, a four-storey two-bay double-pile building, was originally constructed prior to 1830 along with the adjoining No. 28. The Townland Valuations (1832) record that the building was occupied by a Mrs Beatty and was described as a class 1b building (that is a slated building of medium age that was slightly decayed, but still in good repair). The valuer recorded the dimensions of the building at 18.6 feet in width, 33 feet in depth and 39 feet in height. The house included a stable and store to rear (depicted on the 1834 map but now demolished) and was valued at £34 and 18 shillings.

Griffith’s Valuation records that nos 26-28 Pump Street were leased by the Court of Chancery in 1856. The valuer decreased the value of the building to £30 and noted that a Ms. Lindsay occupied the site in the mid-19th century. From 1864 until 1913 No. 26 Pump Street was occupied by Thomas Lindsay, Londonderry’s coroner. In 1871 ownership of the house was acquired by the local merchant firm of J. & J. Cooke. The valuation sources note that the Cooke family continued to own the property until at least the 1970s.

The 1899 Valuation Map of Londonderry depicted No. 26 Pump Street as a simple rectangular-shaped dwelling that did not possess any outbuildings but did possess a small two-storey rear return (which has been subsequently demolished). The contemporary 1901 census building return described No. 26 Pump Street as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 11 rooms. Thomas Lindsay resided at the house until his death in 1913 and by 1918 the property was the home of the Rev. David H. Chillingworth, curate at St. Columb’s Cathedral. The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) records that the value of No. 26 Pump Street remained at £30 and noted that the house was occupied by a Mr. Patrick McGrellis in 1936. McGrellis continued to reside at No. 26 Pump Street by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) which slightly increased the value of the house to £32.

No. 26 Pump Street was included in the Historic City Conservation Area in 1977 and was subsequently listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that the private dwelling was converted into four self-contained apartments in c. 1988. The apartments were subsequently converted into office premises in 2009 and in 2010 the building underwent an internal renovation which included the installation of new floors. Photographs of the house (dated c. 1975) show that few changes to its façade have been made since it was listed (Calley, p.323; Foyle Civic Trust).

References

Primary Sources
1. Pynnar’s plan of the Walled City (1618-19)
2. Thomas Raven’s plans of Londonderry (1622; 1625)
3. Franic Nevill’s plan of the Siege of Derry (1690)
4. PRONI OS/6/5/20/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1830)
5. PRONI OS/6/5/20/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1853)
6. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/14 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910)
7. PRONI VAL/1/B/547E – Townland Valuations (1832)
8. PRONI VAL/1/D/5/9B – Townland Valuation Town Plan (1834)
9. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/16D – Griffith’s Valuation (1856)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/11A-11ZD – Annual Revisions (1860-1897)
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/1A-1B – Annual Revisions (1898-1929)
12. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/10 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
13. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
14. Ordnance Survey Memoir of Parish of Templemore (1837)
15. Ulster Town Directories (1852-1918)
16. Derry Almanac (1876-1953)
17. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
18. PRONI Wills Catalogue (12 Feb 1913)
19. First Survey Record – HB01/19/068 (1970)
20. First Survey Image – HB01/19/068 (No Date)
21. NIEA HB Records – HB01/19/068F
22. Foyle Civic Trust – Living City Project (Pump Street – including 1899 Valuation Map of Londonderry)

Secondary Sources
1. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013 – including Londonderry Corporaton Map (1857).
2. Hume, J., ‘Derry beyond the walls: Social and economic aspects of the growth of Derry 1825-1850’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 2002.
3. Lacey, B., ‘Siege city: The story of Derry and Londonderry’ Belfast: The Blackstaff Press, 1990.
4. Ó Baoill, R., ‘Island city: The archaeology of Derry – Londonderry’ Belfast: Northern Ireland Environment Agency, 2013.
5. Rowan, A. J., ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ London: Yale University Press, 2003.
6. ‘Londonderry Historic City Conservation Area Booklet’ Department of the Environment, 1977.
7. ‘A Design Guide for the Historic City Conservation Area’ Department of the Environment, 2012.

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

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

Evaluation

Late-Georgian mid-terraced four-storey over basement two-bay rendered double-pile townhouse, built pre 1830. No.26 was built as a pair with No.28 and is located on the east side of Pump Street amidst elegant rows of similar terraced buildings within its immediate setting of the Historic City Conservation Area. Despite the external fire escape, some replacement casement windows and substantial loss of historic fabric inside, it retains the rigour and simplicity of style and proportion that characterises Georgian architecture. This quality is shared by the adjoining terrace at No.22 – 24 (HB01.19.068 D & E) as well as No.28 (HB01.19.068 G) with which it has group value, making it a fine example of its period. The terrace is one of the few to retain its residential character within the Walled City and the low wall and railings to the front of No.26 & 28 further enhance the quality of its setting.