13 The Diamond

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay two-storey mid-terrace former house, now commercial premises, built c.1880 and located to the east side of the Diamond in Portstewart town centre. Square on plan.

Pitched artificial slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and cement rendered chimneystack. Plastic rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is painted ruled-and-lined render. Windows are 1/1 timber-framed sash with horns with projecting painted sills; those to first floor are slightly diminished.

The principal elevation faces west and is three openings wide at each floor. To left at ground floor is a replacement six-panelled timber door slightly recessed with a small step.

The north elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB03/08/004E.

The east elevation was not viewed.

The south elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB03/08/004H.

Setting:
West-facing to the south end of the terrace. The terrace is prominently situated, facing an important junction on the approach to Portstewart town centre. The area is characterised by mainly commercial units housed in two-storey terraces on the southern edge of the town. Number 13 is set back from the road with tarmacadamed public parking area to front. Large two-and-a-half-storey modern extension with dormers to north side of terrace, extending to full length of terrace at rear. To north side of The Diamond is Agherton Parish Church (HB03/08/001).

Roof: Artificial slate
Walling: Painted ruled-and-lined render
Windows: 1/1 timber sash
RWG: Plastic

Historical information

Buildings are shown on the site of this terrace on the first edition OS map of 1830. However, valuation records record the dwelling houses then on the site as four structures of low value, ranging from £1 to £2.5s in valuation, and possibly therefore single-storey vernacular buildings. The terrace was remodelled in its present form as seven dwelling houses between 1875 and 1882, reflecting the growth of Portstewart into a successful bathing resort, although the row is without architectural pretension and is likely to have retained fabric from its simpler predecessors. The larger house and shop at the northern end were a successful commercial enterprise while the attached terrace was let out to a succession of working-class tenants.

A newly-remodelled number thirteen was entered into valuation records in 1882 and leased from William Martin suggesting he was the developer of the site. The house and its neighbour, were both valued at £4.10s, and the tenant was initially James Dolan, followed by Robert Blair in 1885. By 1900 the tenant was Mary Blair, probably the widow of Robert, who ran the premises as a lodging house, but was also raising her five children, the eldest of whom was a labourer. Two boarders, a carpenter and a retired farmer, were lodging at the ten room house which was designated second class. In the 1930s the house had a kitchen and five bedrooms and the rent was £1 per month.

Valuer’s notes show a plan of the terrace with a communal yard containing a row of WCs of brick and corrugated iron, one of which was allocated to each of the dwelling houses from number 9 to number 15 and a further row of coal sheds beside the WCs.

The house was listed in 1977 and in 1990 renovations took place to the door, windows and gutters. In 2004 internal alterations were carried out and an extension added to the rear to provide a ground floor office and first floor residential accommodation. (HB file)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/3/1 First Edition OS Map 1830
2. PRONI OS/6/5/3/2 Second Edition OS map 1856
3. PRONI OS/6/5/3/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/3/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1922-39
5. PRONI OS/6/5/3/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1939-50
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/539A-B Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/10 Griffiths Valuation (1861)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/17A-H Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/18 First General Revaluation 1933-57
10. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/8/A/5 First General Revaluation 1933-57
11. 1901 census
12. 1911 census
13. HB file – 03/08/004G
14. Street Directory 1861

Secondary Sources

1. Girvan, W D “Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in Coleraine and Portstewart” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1971-2

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age

Evaluation

A two-bay two-storey mid-terrace former house, now commercial premises, built c.1880 and located to the east side of the Diamond in Portstewart town centre. The best preserved in the terrace, retaining its original composition and much of its architectural detailing, number 13 is an important component in the listed terrace as a whole and adds to the historic interest of the group.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; also applies.