61 ROSEMOUNT AVENUE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A late Victorian mid-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. It abuts adjoining properties Nos. 59 and 63 Rosemount Avenue (HB01/23/001E & G respectively). Principal elevation faces south-east onto Rosemount Avenue, set two steps up from pavement level.

Pitched replacement slate roof has black clay ridge tiles and two modern rooflights; canted bay window 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. Aluminium and upvc water goods to front elevation with uPVC rainwater goods to rear.

Principal (south-east) elevation is of red-brick laid out in "English Garden Wall Bond" with a canted rendered and painted bay window to the left on a continuous cill with painted cornice and segmental-headed door opening to the right with a four panelled timber door with single pane overlight. Two number first floor windows above with segmental-arched heads and brick voussoirs. Replacement 1/1 uPVC windows with leaded top pane, on moulded concrete cills. Original cast-iron rainwater downpipe to first floor level with replacement aluminium ogee gutter and uPVC downpipe to ground floor level. Two large modern rooflights to replacement fibre cement roof.

South-west side is abutted by neighbouring property No. 63 Rosemount Avenue (HB01/23/001G)

North-west elevation to the rear is of two-storey with attic with two-storey rear return (re-built) with pitched roof built at half landing height and single-storey pitched roof building behind. Walling is of smooth render unpainted finish to main elevation and rear return (north-east side un-rendered concrete block) with replacement uPVC window to first floor and first floor landing level on main elevation and rear return. uPVC rain water goods to rear extension.

North-east side is abutted by neighbouring property No. 59 Rosemount Avenue (HB01/23/001E)

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/ Aluminium/ 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. The Annual Revisions initially set the total rateable value of No. 61 Rosemount Avenue at £12 and recorded that the terrace was known as ‘Park Villas’ (as they were opposite the entrance to Brooke Park). The first known occupant of the dwelling was Henry Doherty, a book keeper at a local factory (most likely the adjoining shirt factory), who lived there in 1911.

In that year the census described No. 61 Rosemount Avenue as a 2nd class dwelling that consisted of eight rooms. Doherty had vacated the property by the 1930s when a Mrs Annie McVeigh had taken over ownership of the terrace. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) No. 61 Rosemount Avenue was occupied by a Mr. Thomas Browne and had been increased in value to £22. McVeigh continued to be recorded as owner of the terrace by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) which noted a Mr. Harold D. Shaw as occupant and maintained the value of the building at £22.

In 1970 the UAHS guide for Londonderry described nos 55-63 Rosemount Avenue along with the adjoining factory. No. 61 Rosemount Avenue was listed in 1979. 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 – HB01/23/001F

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

A mid-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 architectural and historic integrity of the exterior has been compromised by the loss of the original windows, rainwater goods and roof covering. 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.

General comments

FILE PA'd 16/04/15