18 FLORENCE TERRACE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid-terrace three storey two bay rendered Victorian townhouse, built in 1874-75 (Architect unknown). Rectangular plan form facing South East with a three storey return to the rear built at half landing height. Part of a terrace of six similar buildings situated on the North West side of the Northland Road. No's 12-20 were constructed at an earlier date than No.10 Florence Terrace (HB01/22/008A) which was constructed in 1890, however are similar in form and style.

Pitched natural slate roof continuous with adjoining property, No.20 Florence Terrace (HB01/22/008F) has black clay ridge tiles with a small dormer centred on elevation and a single roof light to the left side and two to the right and a large two-stage brick chimney stack with buff clay pots rising from the South West side (belonging to No.16). Timber fascia boards and moulded soffit with paired block modillions; cast iron guttering goods to front elevation.

The front elevation has a single storey three sided canted bay to the right hand side of the entrance door with segmental arched headed windows, moulded panels below sill-course, deep moulded cornice and parapet above painted in contrasting colour. All windows are 1/1 double hung timber sliding sashes with moulded horns; upper floor windows have moulded architraves with stop blocks on sills and keystones to first floor windows; recessed segmental arched headed door opening, four steps up, contains a replacement raised-and-fielded four panel timber door flanked by decorative corbel brackets on plain pilasters to either side supporting a deep moulded cornice and plain fanlight over.

South West and North East sides are adjoined to neighbouring properties No.16 and No.20 Florence Terrace (HB01/22/008D and HB01/22/008F).

The rear elevation is of rendered painted finish with a large slated pitched roof dormer to main roof and uPVC casement windows to rear elevation (where seen), abutted by a three storey return built at half-landing height.

Rear return is of rendered painted finish with square headed window openings having uPVC casement windows on all levels on the North West elevation and uPVC rainwater goods. North East elevation is abutted by a metal fire staircase and door at ground floor level opening out onto rear yard enclosed by a concrete boundary wall. Rear return has a pitched slate roof with black ridge tiles.

Setting:
Located on the North West side of the Northland Road, with a tarmac parking area to the front enclosed by a low rendered painted boundary wall. Front elevation faces South East overlooking Magee University grounds and the River Foyle beyond.

Roof Natural Slate
RWGs Cast iron
Walling Painted Render
Windows Timber Sliding Sash (SE) uPVC casements (NW)

Historical information

No. 18 Florence Terrace, a three-storey two-bay building possessing a dormer window and a ground floor bay window, was constructed in 1874-75. The house is part of a terrace of five identical structures (the adjoining No. 10 Florence Terrace was constructed in 1890). The northern expansion of Londonderry had been initiated in the mid-19th century with the construction of Georgian-style terraces on Great James Street, Queen Street and Clarendon Street. Mullin states that Edenballymore and the Northland Road was still rural in character when the Victorian terrace of Crawford Square (HB01/22/003; 004) was constructed in the 1860s-1870s. The expansion of the city was facilitated by a period of economic growth and prosperity that endured from the 1860s until the end of the 19th century. With the opening of Magee College in 1865, a number of new terraced dwellings were constructed in the vicinity including College Terrace (HB01/22/026), Clarence Avenue (HB01/22/006) and Florence Terrace (Mullin, p. 119; Rowan, p. 371).

Nos 12-20 Florence Terrace was leased by James Caldwell, a local tea merchant whose business, J. Caldwell & Co. operated from premises on the Strand Road. The terrace was first depicted on the c. 1873-1910 Annual Revisions Town Plan of Londonderry which depicted the row along its current layout (with each building possessing its current rear return) suggesting that few structural changes have been made to the houses since they were erected. The architect of the terrace is not known. The adjoining No. 10 Florence Terrace was designed by William Barker (1851-1898), a local architect and civil engineer. During his short career Barker was responsible for the design of other buildings in the Magee College area including one of the red-brick professor’s residences (HB01/22/009C) on the opposite side of the Northland Road, the Bethany Hall on Park Avenue and the standard design of Aberfoyle Terrace on the Strand Road (HB01/22/014). It is unlikely that Barker was also responsible for the adjoining nos 12-20 Florence Terrace which were constructed before he had established his independent practice in the city (DIA).

The Annual Revisions records that No. 18 Florence Terrace was constructed between 1874 and 1875 and was originally valued at £33. The Annual Revisions state that the house was first occupied by a Mr. Thomas H. Baird but by 1901 the property had passed to a Mrs. Mary Sweeney. In that year the building was described in the census as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 11 rooms and possessed a coal house as its sole out office. The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) recorded that the terrace was owned by the McFarland family of Aberfoyle House (HB01/22/007) and that the value of No. 18 Florence Terrace had been increased to £32. The house was occupied by a Mr. Frederick McCullagh who purchased the building outright in 1954. McCullagh continued to reside at the address until at least the 1970s and by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the value of the house remained at £32.

No. 18 Florence Terrace was listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that the building was renovated in 1980 when its roof was repaired, its sliding sash windows restored and its brickwork repointed. In 1993 the house was converted into a number of self-contained apartments. During the conversion of the building the roof was reslated in natural slate and cast iron rainwater goods were installed. By at least 2012 No. 18, as well as the adjoining No. 20 Florence Terrace, were both utilised as student accommodation. The conversion of the buildings included the installation of modern skylights in their roofs. Florence Terrace was included in the Magee Conservation Area in 2006 (NIEA HB Records; Magee Conservation Area Guide).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910)
2. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/11G-11ZA – Annual Revisions (1870-1897)
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/2A-F – 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. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
7. Ulster Town Directories (1877-1918)
8. First Survey Record – HB01/22/008 (1970)
9. First Survey Image – HB01/22/008 (No Date)
10. NIEA HB Records – HB01/22/008E

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. Mullin, T. H., Ulster’s Historic City: Derry – Londonderry’ Coleraine: Coleraine Bookshop, 1986.
4. ‘Design Guide for Magee Conservation Area’ Department of the Environment, 2010.

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

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

Evaluation

A Victorian three-storey two-bay rendered Italianate-style mid-terraced house built in 1874-75 and located on the west side of Northland Road to the west of the River Foyle in Londonderry. The exterior has retained much of its historic character, style and proportions including decorative corbel brackets on plain pilasters to either side of the front door, with a deep moulded cornice and plain fanlight over. No.18 was built part of a terrace row of five houses of similar style and character (Nos 12-20 Florence Terrace HB01/22/008B-F) with which it has group value, as well as having group value with No. 10 (HB01/22/008A) which was built some fifteen years later. The Magee Conservation Area is enhanced by the presence of this terrace.