70 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Storey and a half house on basement plinth course facing south east onto Main Street. Main elevation is seven bays wide and was formerly Georgian in style. Windows at ground level are the original 12 pane sashes. The elevation was extensively remodelled in the early 1970s however, and its dominant features are three rectangular dormers at first floor and a flat canopy three windows wide to one side of centre. This canopy is about 400mm thick with the sand cement underside curling up to a metal trim. It is supported on four 60mm diameter painted steel columns wrapped in rope to their junction with a steel balustrade below. This balustrade runs along the top of a concrete plinth at door level with five steps at each end. There are two doors on the elevation interspersed with the five windows. The main entrance is in the centre of the facade, there is a plain rectangular fanlight. The second door to the dispensary replaces a window opening to the north east, which was the central of three windows. Each door is under the canopy, they are linked by lapped timber sheeting. There are rebuilt brick chimneys on each gable. The roof is slate, rainwater goods PVC. Main part of facade painted render with 100mm natural colour trim to dormers and windows.

The other elevations are not as extensively altered. Gables are blank. To the rear the building forms an ‘L’ in plan with a return sitting out from the south west gable. The back elevation facing north west has a single rectangular dormer.Ttwo casement windows with Georgian mullion pattern light the ground floor, a lean-to porch abuts the junction of the ‘L’ and a small stained glass window with curved head above lights the stairs. The return facing north east has two small pitched dormers and a sash window below with Victorian glazing pattern. A tall chimney sits up from the gable.

An unpainted single storey boiler house of more recent construction adjoins and aligns with the return.

Across the courtyard from the return is a single storey shed part of the property of the house.

Historical information

Building shown on 1830 map where it is indicated as the Post Office. The 1858 Griffith Valuation states that the owner of the building is Mr William Cather and that the occupant is Mary Ross. Mary Ross is also given as the occupant of number 51 Main Street in the valuation. She was a sister of Jane Ross who recorded the Londonderry Air. The post office function of the building is not indicated on the 1907 survey; a building on Market Street is indicated as such.

The present owners have lived in the house 60 years running a veterinary practice which is being carried on by their daughter.

The renovations to the facade were carried out in the early 1970s by Obie Smith Architect. Girvan states that the house is ‘reputedly one of the oldest buildings in the street’ though he does not justify this claim.

References:

Ordnance Survey Maps of Limavady, 'Town of Limavady' enlarged section of 1831 OS edition.(PRONI); 1856 ed; and 1907 ed. Co. Londonderry. OS.
U A H S Buildings of North Derry - W D Girvan

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An early Georgian building on Main Street with some fine internal detailing. Inappropriate external renovation however has obscured its historic nature and made the house look like a club or other public building. Of local interest for its history as a post office and dispensary.