28 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Entry on input form reads 'See description for No 4A. Back return added'. The following is a copy of this entry.

A terrace of 4 small 2 storey houses built of coursed sandstone blocks with ashlar work to the facade in Main Street. The fronts, right at the back of the footwalk, are punctuated with deep recessed, segmented headed doorways, segmental headed windows divided into 3 sliding sash windows, the centre one being twice the width of sides and below the windows a recessed panel in the stonework. At first floor a dignified row of square headed sash windows make a good rhythm and a deepish slightly projecting band of stonework marks the floor level and just turns the corner onto the gable. Obviously designed to compliment the Presbyterian Church and Churchill.

The rafters are exposed at the eaves and while there is no soffit, a moulded bargeboard provides a positive stop. The voissoirs of the ground floor segment arches are well executed and the plinth stone chamfered on its top exposed edge. Roofs have large Bangor blue slates and the chimney are in redbrick of recent vintage. On the gables the bottom stonework to 900mm high is rubble whinstone. Several windows have been unfortunately altered.

The rear of the houses are untidy with one end house having a recent back return, an intermediate one has a wide flat roofed dormer, windows are changed and the other end house is about to gain another back return. The wide back lane separates the terraces from their gardens.

Each house has an attic with a skylight, only one which retains the original cast iron variety.

Historical information

Entry on input form reads 'See No 4A'. The following is a copy of this entry.

Houses were designed by Richard Suitor and most likely built by James Turnball c 1828. These houses, with 8 brick houses and 8 cottages (nothing remains) cost £3,000.00 (O.S Memoirs)

References:

O S Memoirs of Ireland Vol 25
Curl J S The Londonderry Plantation 1609 - 1914

Property also known as Clooney Road

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Entry on input form reads 'See No 4A'. The following is a copy of this entry.

An example of a good late Georgian terrace which has been degraded to the point where it is no longer of listable quality. This has, to a great extent, resulted from the small existing floor areas being incompatible with modern living standards. This has necessitated internal alterations and the construction of large back returns to 2 of the 4 properties.