38 Catherine Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey two bay brick house in the Georgian style which faces north west onto Catherine Street. Part of a group of two with number 36 (HB02/12/022B) which are symmetrical about their junction. Natural slate roof with ‘velux’ type rooflight and rendered chimney on gable to south west. Windows twelve pane sliding sashes with painted stone cills on two upper floors. Cill to first floor extends as string course across the two buildings. Entrance door with plain segmental fanlight is located at north east end of facade. It has a simple rendered rectangular surround. Upper part of door is glazed. The single ground floor window contains a pair of sashes.

To the rear, the building has been extended the full depth of the site.

Historical information

A building shown on this site on 1830 town map, however, it is of shallow depth though deeper than its twin number 38. The Griffiths Valuation of 1858 confirms that it is not the present house as its value is recorded quite low at £4.00. The presently smaller two storey houses to the south west are valued at £6.00. The 1907 Ordnance Survey is the first to show buildings likely to be those now existing (they had returns symmetrical about the junction). The earliest deeds for the houses date from 1899 though this is no confirmation that they were built at this time for the deeds of the whole terrace were drawn up at the same period. Mr Michael Keen French, founding partner of Mark Keen French and Ingram Solicitors (still in Catherine Street) was owner of the row from 38 to 44.

The building was lived in as a private house until the 1980s when it was bought by the dentists from Mr Michael McGinnis (now of Greysteel). It was renovated in 1984. The rear extension was added in 1989, builder: Raymond Colhoun.

References:

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
Griffiths Valuation 1858
Deed (held by solicitors next door in number 34)

Secondary Sources
D Girvan, 'The Buildings of north Derry' UAHS 1975 p14
TH Mullan 'Limavady and the Roe Valley' Limavady Council 1983
Occupants of Dental Surgery

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Late Victorian terraced house in the Georgian style, which compliments the taller terrace adjoining both in style and in townscape as it provides with its neighbour a step down to the lower houses on the rest of the terrace. Well preserved externally it adds an architectural quality to Catherine Street.