69 Letterloan Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical direct-entry single-storey, two-bay rubblestone thatch-under-tin dwelling built c.1840 and located to the north side of Letterloan Road southwest of Macosquin. Rectangular plan with single bay lean-to byre at north gable.

Pitched corrugated tin over straw thatch roof with raised masonry verges; red brick and partially rendered chimneystack to north gable. Cast-iron half-round guttering on metal brackets. Random rubblestone walling with remnants of whitewashed lime render. Remnants of 6/6 timber sash windows with timber lintels, in plain reveals with flush stone sills.

The principal elevation faces east and is four openings wide including timber-sheeted entrance door to right of centre.

The south gable is blank.

The west elevation is partially concealed by overgrowth; window opening at left.

The north gable is abutted by the lean-to byre with tin roof; timber frame to entrance at east.

Setting:

Situated in a rural
setting to the north side of Letterloan Road, east of the junction with Shinny Road. Directly to rear of house is a large oak tree. Surrounding grazing land is bounded by low rubblestone walling and barbed wire fencing. Accessed from Letterloan Road to south by a modern metal farmgate.

Roof: Thatch under tin
Walling: Random rubblestone with remnants of whitewashed lime render
Windows: Remnants of timber sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The building is first shown, occupying much the same plan form as today, on the second edition OS map of 1849-52.

Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the occupier as Bryan Mullen, who leases the house and a plot of 3 acres from Thomas Richardson. In 1880 the dwelling passed to Alex McKeown and remained in the McKeown family for some years. At the time of the 1901 census, widow Mary Ann McKeown was living in the house with her four adult children, her sons working as a tailor and a labourer and her two daughters both seamstresses. The two-room thatched cottage was designated second class and had two outbuildings, a cow house and a piggery. The house was still thatched at the time of the 1911 census. William Leighton took over the house in 1919 and a succession of tenants followed.

Valuer’ notes of the 1930s give a plan of the house with attached byre showing that by this stage the roof was corrugated iron. The accommodation was a bedroom and kitchen and the house was lit by oil lamps with a dry closet to the rear. The building was still inhabited at this stage but has since fallen into a state of disrepair.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/11/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-52
2. PRONI OS/6/5/11/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
3. PRONI OS/6/5/11/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1923
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/15A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
5. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/3 First General Revaluation 1933-57
6. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/3/Q/1 First General Revaluation 1933-57
7. Griffith’s Valuation online
8. 1901/11 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A direct-entry single-storey, two-bay rubblestone thatch-under-tin dwelling with attached single-bay byre, built c.1840 and located to the north side of Letterloan Road southwest of Macosquin. A modest thatched dwelling, no longer in use, which retains an original roof structure under corrugated tin. Although the building retains some features of traditional building materials and techniques, it has lots too much historic fabric and detailing to consider for listing.