15 The Diamond

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay one-and-a-half-storey end-terraced former house, now commercial premises, built c.1880 with later alterations and located to the east side of The Diamond in Portstewart town centre. Rectangular plan with two-storey return to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles, rendered chimneystacks having terracotta pots and bargeboards to gables. Plastic rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is painted smooth render. Windows are replacement timber sash with projecting painted sills.

The principal elevation faces west and is irregularly arranged, with three gabled dormers having 6/6 windows to first floor (more closely grouped to centre and right). 2/2 window to ground floor right and shop-front insertion to ground floor left. Shop-front comprises tripartite plate-glass window with timber jambs and flanked by panelled pilasters; continuous sill over slate stall riser, and replacement four-panelled timber door to right. Door has fixed timber transom and panelled pilaster at right. Plain fascia with cornice over.

The north elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB03/08/0047G.

The east elevation was not viewed; Fully abutted by a full-height gabled return, with modern four-panelled timber door to south elevation.

The south gable has 1/1 window to right at attic. To centre at ground floor is a large tripartite window (middle is boarded) with plain timber fascia over.

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 15 is set back from the road with tarmacadamed public parking area to front. Large two-and-a-half-storey modern extension with large 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: Natural slate
Walling: Smooth render
Windows: Replacement 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 fifteen was entered into valuation records in 1882 and leased from William Martin suggesting he was the developer of the site. The house was slightly larger than its neighbours and was therefore valued at £5.10s. The tenant was initially Robert Blair who then moved into the slightly cheaper neighbouring house in 1885. By 1900 the tenant was Margaret Jane McKeown, and then in 1901 Alexander Macauley, an unemployed clerk, living with his Edinburgh wife and 12-year-old niece. (1901 census) Macauley was followed by James Black (1906), Isabella Potter (1907) and James McPeake (1916) then William John McPeake who was present in the 1930s. Valuer’s notes of this period show that the house had a kitchen, reception and six bedrooms and the rent was £1.3s per month.

The valuation plan shows the terrace with communal yard to the rear 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.

Girvan commented in the 1970s that the Diamond was ‘a pleasant enclosure, away from the sea-front...and dominated by the Parish Church’. (Girvan)

The house was listed in 1977 and at the time was still a dwelling house but shop fronts have since been inserted to the front and side. (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 – 03/08/004H

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 one-and-a-half-storey end-terraced former house, now commercial premises, built c.1880 with later alterations and located to the east side of The Diamond in Portstewart town centre. Prominently sited on the approach to Portstewart town centre, despite some inappropriate alterations, the terrace is an important example of late-nineteenth century domestic architecture in the town and this building has group value with the other listed buildings in the terrace.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; also applies.