55 ROSEMOUNT AVENUE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A late Victorian end-of-terrace two-bay two-storey with attic red-brick townhouse, built in 1904 as one of a terrace of five townhouses. Rectangular on plan with a two-storey rear return built at half-landing height stepping down to single storey and a single storey side extension to the north-east side. It abuts adjoining property No.57 Rosemount Avenue (HB01/23/001D) to the south-west side. Principal elevation faces south-east onto Rosemount Avenue. The entrance door is located on the corner at a 45 degree angle set two steps up from pavement level.

Pitched replacement fibre cement roof with black clay ridge tiles and two modern rooflights; square bay to the south-east elevation; large red-brick two-stage chimney stack with six terracotta clay pots to the main roof rising from north-east side. Projecting stepped dog-tooth red-brick cornice at eaves level with matching cornice detail to chimney. Cast-iron downpipe to front elevation with replacement uPVC rainwater goods throughout.

Principal (south-east) elevation is of red-brick laid out in "English Garden Wall Bond" with a square rendered and painted bay window to the left with painted cornice and a painted curved pitched roof, and a corner door set at 45 degrees to the principal elevation. Two number first floor windows above with segmental-arched heads and brick voussoirs. Windows are replacement 1/1 uPVC with moulded concrete cills. Replacement ogee aluminium gutters and cast iron downpipe. Two large modern rooflights to replacement fibre cement roof.

South-west elevation is abutted by neighbouring property No. 57 Rosemount Avenue (HB01/23/001D).

Rear (north-west) elevation is two-storey with attic, with two-storey rear return with pitched roof built at half landing height stepping down to single storey with enclosed yard to west. Walling is smooth rendered to main elevation and rear elevation of rear return with single replacement uPVC window to first floor landing level on main elevation. Modern side extension to north-east with red-brick walling laid out in "Stretcher Bond" with lean-to slate roof.

North-east elevation is of red-brick laid out in "English Garden Wall Bond" with modern single storey lean-to extension in "Stretcher Bond" with a door at either end and a hipped roof to the south-east corner. Two 1/1 uPVC windows on gable wall, one to first floor right of centre and one to attic level left of centre, both with segmental-arched heads and brick voussoirs. Gable surmounted by a large red-brick chimney. Rear return is of red brick built at half landing level with two square-headed windows with replacement 1/1 uPVC windows and moulded concrete cills. Replacement slate roof and uPVC gutter and downpipes. Rear single-storey extension has pitched roof which forms a cat-slide roof onto north-east extension to side.

Setting:
Located on the north-west side of Rosemount Avenue, situated within a terrace row of five similar houses adjoining Rosemount Factory. Principal elevation faces south-east and is set on an elevated site to the north-west of the city overlooking Brooke Park.

Materials:
Roof Fibre-cement
RWG Cast-iron/ uPVC
Walling Brick/ Render
Windows uPVC

Historical information

Rosemount Avenue was laid out following the development of Park Avenue in the 1880s. Calley states that Park Avenue was mostly complete by 1898 and consisted of a number of terraced and freestanding houses. The development of Rosemount Avenue in the early-20th century resulted in a residential street that rose up the hill from the Northland Road, extending south-west for almost a kilometre, until it intersected with the Creggan Road. With the boundary wall of Brooke Park to its south-east side, the majority of new housing and terraces were constructed along the northern half of Rosemount Avenue (Calley).

The development of working class housing in the Rosemount area was encouraged by the construction of the four-storey Shirt Factory for A. B. Grant & Sons in 1904 (see HB01/23/001A for full history). The shirt factory was erected on land that had been owned by the Church of Ireland (but was transferred to the Church Temporalities Commission following disestablishment) to designs by Matthew Alexander Robinson, a local architect and engineer who was responsible for the design of Claremont Presbyterian Church (HB01/22/010) and the boundary wall, railings and gates at Brooke Park. The factory was constructed by the Belfast-based building firm of H. Laverty & Son (DIA).

Nos 55-63 Rosemount Avenue, a terrace of five two-storey red-brick dwellings possessing a single-storey bay window, were constructed to the north-east side of the shirt factory in 1904 and may have been constructed in tandem with the adjoining building (although it is not known with certainty who designed the terrace). The terrace was owned by a Mr. William Doherty and was known as ‘Park Villas’ (as they were opposite the entrance to Brooke Park).

The Annual Revisions initially set the total rateable value of No. 55 Rosemount Avenue at £13 and recorded that the ground floor of the building was utilised as a shop whilst the remainder of the house was occupied as a private dwelling. The first recorded occupant of the house was a Ms. Sarah J. Spence who operated a newsagents and corner shop from her address in 1911. In that year the census building return described her property as a 2nd class shop and dwelling that consisted of eight rooms. Spence had vacated the site by the 1930s when a Mr. William H. McFarland resided at the address. The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) noted that a Mrs Annie McVeigh had taken over ownership of the terrace and that No. 55 Rosemount Avenue had been increased in value to £28. McFarland continued to reside at the address by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) at which time its value stood at £33.

In 1970 the UAHS guide for Londonderry described nos 55-63 Rosemount Avenue along with the adjoining factory. No. 55 Rosemount Avenue was listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that the building was utilised as licensed premises in the 1980s but had been converted to office premises for a local estate agents by 1999. Calley, writing in 2013, described Park Villas as ‘two-storey two-bay with a high wall-head above the first floor windows creating a good sense of mass. The ground floors have contrasting rendered canted bay windows (except for No. 55 which is squared) with pitched roofs. All openings are segmental-headed. The boldly projecting cornices are of matching brick as are the chimneys and their matching cornice brick-work’ (UAHS guide, p. 47; Calley, p. 339).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910)
2. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/2A-2F – Annual Revisions (1898-1931)
3. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/10 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
4. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
5. Census of Ireland (1901 / 1911)
6. Ulster Town Directories (1901-1918)
7. First Survey Record – HB01/23/001 (1970)
8. NIEA HB Records – HB01/23/001B-C

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/

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An end-of-terrace two-bay two-storey with attic red-brick townhouse, built in 1904 as one of a terrace of five townhouses. Located on the north-west side of Rosemount Avenue, situated within a terrace row of similar houses adjoining Rosemount Factory (HB01/23/001A) to the north west of the city overlooking Brooke Park. The ground floor of the building was utilised as a shop from 1911 with a private dwelling above. The architectural and historic integrity of the exterior has been compromised by the loss of the original windows and the addition of extensions to the north-east and north-west sides. It is of a late date and not one of the best examples of the type and its interest has been compromised by extensive alterations and extensions.

General comments

Please note that this record now incorporates No. 55A Rosemount Avenue previously recorded under (HB01/23/001C)

FILE PA'd 16/04/15