21 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey, four windows wide, rendered terraced house on the south east side of Main Street. Slate roof, with two small roof lights, brick chimney to the south west end of the ridge, which is slightly lower than 19 Main Street (HB02/12/011) adjacent. Cast iron rainwater goods.

Four windows at first floor level equally spaced, with painted stone cills and twelve pane sash windows. Large Georgian entrance door aligning on ground floor with window at north west end. Ionic columns recessed in facade support an entablature with a geometric fret pattern and a flower head in break front directly above the capital. The columns flank double panelled doors (1.2 metres wide). Above a semi-circular fanlight has a complicated pattern of curving astragals which form a succession of ellipses and approximately triangular panes. The composition is recessed in the facade with a plaster bead moulding edging the whole opening.

The other openings on the ground floor are more recent with concrete cills. Two approximately square windows divided into four vertical divisions each with a crude curving head, flank the entrance door. This door has a fanlight aligning with the top of the windows. Door and fanlight are glazed in a Georgian pattern. Above is a modern painted sign proclaiming ‘Limavady Printing Co, Ltd. Office Equipment Centre’.

The rear of the building is a modern flat roofed extension which occupies the whole plot to the D O E car park in the rear.

Historical information

There is a building shown on this site on the 1830 OS map. From the detailing of the openings it is likely that it is this building. On the 1830 map the return is paired with that of the site next door (now 17 & 19) which is of exactly the same size. It is now occupied by later Victorian buildings (HB02/12/011). In the Griffiths valuation of 1858 the house was occupied by a Mr Hugh Lane and leased from J Ogilby. He is also listed as the occupant of the building next door (17 & 19) which was leased from Mr J Moffat.

References:
Reference

Primary Sources:
OS Map 'Newtown Limavady' enlarged from 1st Edition Map (1831) PRONI: Val 2D/5/4 & T2933/4/126
OS Map 'Newtown Limavady' (1848 revision with notes of 1858 valuation) PRONI: 058/120/1/1 & T2933/3/140
OS Map ' Town of Limavady' (1895) PRONI:Val 2D/5/4 & 293/4/261
OS Map ' Town of Limavady' (1907) PRONI:058/120/2/3

Secondary Sources
D Girvan, 'The Buildings of north Derry' UAHS 1975 p12
TH Mullan 'Limavady and the Roe Valley' Limavady Council 1983
Griffiths Valuation 1858

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Important particularly because of the fine Georgian door-case with its high quality fanlight and also because of the surviving historic windows. These contribute positively to the overall character of Main Street. However the conversion to a shopfront and the loss of all architectural character internally and to the rear of the building has been a significant loss to the town's built heritage.