Former Londonderry Fire Station

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached double pile two-storey over-basement four-bay sandstone former residence. Built in 1897 to designs by Young & Mackenzie for the Superintendent of the former Lunatic Asylum. 'T-shaped' plan form with the principal elevation facing South East onto Northland Road approached by a set of stone steps over a basement well.

Double pile hipped slate roof with a small and a large sandstone chimney stack with buff clay pots to the North East side both centred on ridge. Deep overhanging cornice at eaves level.

Principal elevation is of coursed rock-faced sandstone, facing South East with a projecting hip roofed bay to the right side; painted render single storey flat roofed entrance porch to the left of projecting bay approached via a perron flight of stone steps with a replacement painted metal handrail to either side, recessed square headed door opening under a segmental-arched opening with keystone over and a moulded cornice above to a low parapet wall, painted in contrasting colour, plain architrave surround to a pair of raised-and-fielded diamond-faced three-panelled painted timber doors; two square headed windows on stone sills to the left of entrance porch with three aligned above on first floor level and two centred on projecting bay to the right, one on ground floor and one aligned above on first floor level; all windows are timber sliding sashes with horns, 1/1 on ground floor and 2/2 on first floor level; basement level has square headed uPVC casement windows, one under each ground floor window.

South West side elevation is of coursed rock-faced sandstone; the fenestration pattern is irregular with a mix of small and large square headed timber sliding sash, steel and timber casement windows to ground and first floors, uPVC casement windows to basement level; cast-iron rainwater goods.

North west elevation to the rear is three storey and of shist stone construction with red brick dressings to window and door surrounds. Left side projecting bay has a small slate pitched roof stone extension at basement level to extreme left side of elevation with a single square headed uPVC casement window on the right of the extension; continuous stone band-course between basement and ground floor windows; ground and first floors have two square headed timber sliding sash windows, 1/1 sashes on ground floor and 2/2 on first floor level; SW elevation to projecting bay has a single window of the same to ground and first floor level and a square headed door opening contains a uPVC door with glazed top and bottom panes to basement level. The fenestration pattern to the remainder of the rear elevation (right of projecting bay) is irregular with a mix of timber sliding sashes and timber casement windows; basement level has a square headed uPVC casement window; continuous stone band-course between basement and ground floor windows; semi-circular tall timber sliding sash window with decorative coloured margin panes to first floor landing level. Cast-iron rainwater goods to rear elevation.

North East side elevation is of coursed rock-faced sandstone. Three sided canted bay rising from basement to ground floor level on left side has a hipped roof with lead detailing; square headed uPVC window to basement level and square headed 1/1 timber sliding sash windows on ground floor level to canted bay; paired square headed uPVC windows to basement level, right of canted bay; single square headed 1/1 timber sliding sash window to the right side of canted bay on ground floor level; three square headed 2/2 timber sliding sash windows to first floor level. Cast-iron rainwater goods to NE elevation.

Materials:
Roof Natural Slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Sandstone
Windows Timber sliding sash/timber casements & uPVC (basement level)

Setting:
Located on the western side of Northland Road on an elevated site overlooking the River Foyle towards the east. Principal elevation faces South East enclosed by a stone wall and a row of tall trees to the Northland Road, situated on the boundary of the Clarendon Street Conservation Area. Fire Station is located to the immediate south and a modern building to the north-west at higher level. There is three-storey modern housing to the immediate north of the former fire station building.

Historical information

No. 6A Northland Road, a two-storey over-basement four-bay sandstone dwelling located to the east side of Londonderry’s fire station, was constructed in 1897. The building was originally constructed as a dwelling for the superintendent of the District Lunatic Asylum (demolished in the 1960s) which was located to the south-east of the site between the Strand and Northland Roads. The residence was designed by Young & Mackenzie, a Belfast-based partnership.

The Dictionary of Irish Architects described Young & Mackenzie as ‘the most successful architectural practice in Belfast [which] had become the leading architects for the Presbyterian Church in the North-East and had already received some of the most important commercial commissions in [Belfast].’ Although the DIA states that Young & Mackenzie carried out most of its work in the North-East of the province, the firm were also very active in Derry having designed commercial premises on Foyle Street, Carlisle Road Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church on Clooney Terrace, Professor’s houses at Magee University and one of the city’s largest shirt factories on Patrick Street (DIA). The firm’s papers held at PRONI state that the firm constructed the dwelling at the District Lunatic Asylum for Dr. Charles A. Hetherington, the resident Medical Superintendent. The house was constructed on land that was owned by the Asylum and was valued at £71 upon its completion. The Natural Stone Database records that the building was primarily constructed of locally-quarried Barony Glen sandstone from Dungiven (DIA; NSD).

The c.1873-1910 Annual Revisions Town Plan depicted the building along its current T-shaped layout suggesting that few major structural changes have been made to the building since the late-19th century. The map also records that the house possessed grounds with a path that extended to the northern entrance of the District Lunatic Asylum. The 1901 census noted that Charles Edward Hetherington was born in Co. Westmeath and was also employed as a physician and surgeon at the asylum. The census building return described the superintendent’s residence as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 12 rooms. Hetherington continued to reside at the site until his death in 1932 (PRONI Wills). Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the house was occupied by Dr. John Watson and continued to be owned by the Trustees of the Londonderry City & County Mental Hospital. Calley state that the house was utilised as a nurses residence in the mid-20th century but it was not until 1961 (and the relocation of the local mental hospital to Gransha in the Waterside) that the building was acquired by the Northern Ireland Fire Authority.

Prior to 1961 the Londonderry Fire Brigade was based at a number of locations throughout the city. The first purpose-built fire station was located at No. 1A Hawkin Street (see HB01/19/080) and had been erected by the Corporation in 1891 to designs supplied by John Guy Ferguson. During the Second World War the Londonderry Fire Brigade was incorporated into the National Fire Service which subsequently established a number of stations throughout the city in preparation for Luftwaffe incendiary attacks. Following the war, firefighting in the city was taken over by the Western Fire Authority and the local fire brigade occupied an abandoned factory on the Waterside (near the Craigavon Bridge). In 1950 the Western Fire Authority was replaced by the Northern Ireland Fire Authority and in 1961 the local fire brigade acquired the former superintendent’s house on the Northland Road. A purpose-built fire station was constructed to the south side of the house in 1961 with the late-Victorian sandstone building being utilised as office and residential premises for the local firefighters. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of the fire station (including the house and the modern buildings) was set at £1,120.

In 1970 the UAHS guide for Londonderry described No. 6A Northland Road as a ‘simple two-storey stone dwelling with basement standing in its own grounds, finished in rock-faced sandstone’ (UAHS guide, p. 50). The building was listed in 1979 (NIEA HB Records). The building is currently used as a language school for The North West Academy of English.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910)
2. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/11U-ZA – Annual Revisions (1885-1897)
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/2A-2F – Annual Revisions (1898-1931)
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. PRONI D2194 - Young & Mackenzie Papers
7. Ulster Town Directories (1880-1943)
8. PRONI Wills Catalogue (25 Jul 1932)
9. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
10. First Survey Record – HB01/22/005 (1970)
11. NIEA HB Records – HB01/22/005 (Missing)

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.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie
2. Natural Stone Database - http://www.stonedatabase.com//stone_types.cfm?stc=45

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Detached double pile two-storey over-basement four-bay sandstone former residence built in 1897 to designs by Young & Mackenzie, a Belfast-based partnership who became the leading architects for the Presbyterian Church in the North-East. Located on the western side of Northland Road on an elevated site overlooking the River Foyle towards the east, the building was constructed originally for the Superintendent of the former Lunatic Asylum, which was located between Northland Road and Strand Road. The exterior has retained much of its character, style and proportions with detailing largely intact and consistent for its time and style. Some interior detailing survives intact such as original joinery and cornicing. The former dwelling has had several uses such as a nurses’ residence in the mid 20th century and in more recent years as offices for the Northern Ireland Fire Authority. Its history in relation to the former Lunatic Asylum makes this late-Victorian building a rare type with an interesting local and social history.