29 Kerr Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A mid-Victorian two-bay three-storey terraced townhouse with attic, built 1867 and located to the east side of Kerr Street overlooking the harbour in Portrush town centre. Square on plan with two-storey extension to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystack to south gable having six tall clay pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on moulded eaves course. Walling is pebbledash on a smooth rendered projecting plinth. Windows are replacement uPVC in moulded architraves with projecting painted sills; left ground floor window also with plain entablature and cornice; canted oriel to first floor rests on consoles to jambs of window beneath.

The principal elevation faces west and is three openings wide at each floor; canted oriel window to first floor centre with leaded hipped roof. Doorcase to ground floor right is accessed by a step laid with modern tiles and comprises replacement panelled-and-glazed timber door surmounted by transom light inscribed “29”. Door is flanked by panelled pilasters and surmounted by corniced canopy on scrolled acanthus leaf console brackets.

The north gable is abutted by adjoining building; HB03/10/005B.

The east (rear) elevation has skylight to centre of ridge line and three irregularly arranged windows at third floor; abutted at lower floors by two-storey return.

The south gable is abutted by adjoining building.

Setting:

Street-fronted overlooking Portrush harbour. High rubblestone wall to rear with concrete coping encloses rear yard. Set back from the street slightly with tiled plinth to front laid with modern black slate tiles; ornate cast-iron railings to each corner on painted render plinth wall.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Pebbledash
Windows: uPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The current sea-front house, formerly a hotel, is one of a terrace of three dwellings built in 1867/8 as Portrush began to develop following the opening of the railway line in 1855. The terrace was named ‘Abercorn Place’ and is first shown on the 1896 town plan of Portrush, facing onto the harbour. The houses first enter valuation records in 1867 when all three vacant unfinished properties are valued at £25. The houses were leased from James Moore the likely developer of the site.

The first occupier to be noted in number 29 was Mrs Adam Hill in 1868. Subsequent tenants were John A Watt (1873) and Robert K Knox (1875). In 1882 the valuation was increased to £30 and it was noted that the house had been improved ‘some years ago’. This may refer to the addition of a two-storey extension to the south gable of the house (substantially altered/rebuilt since the first survey). Then follow Butler M Given (1885) Mrs Orr (1887) and Matilda Bryan (1888). In 1889 the house was converted into a YWCA ‘institute and boarding-house for young women’. The ‘commodious’ premises were neatly furnished and a number of prominent people attended the opening including Lady Hayes and Lady Lenox-Conyngham. (Belfast Newsletter) However, the venture appears to have been short-lived and by 1898 the house was occupied by William Ballentine.

The 1901 census records the premises as a Temperance Hotel, known as Swanbank, run by Mary Lloyd, a widow born in England of the Baptist denomination and her adult daughter. A 19-year-old boy was employed to clean boots and there was a single boarder in March when the census was taken, an ironmonger from County Monaghan. The 1911 census records the Lloyds, who were Baptists, still in occupation. Annie Lloyd was running the hotel with her brother who was a merchant tailor. A servant girl of 21 was also resident. The hotel passed through several more proprietors, John Lamont (1915), Hannah Hargin (1919) and Charles Doherty (1925). Charles Doherty owned the hotel for more than 20 years and made a number of improvements leading to rises in the valuation in 1945 and 1947. The hotel comprised three receptions, ten bedrooms, a kitchen, scullery and pantry and was described as a ‘good class boarding house’. In 1944 the ground floor of the rear return, formerly the kitchen and scullery, was knocked through into a large kitchen. The old ranges were replaced by a modern two oven “Esse” patent cooker and the kitchen floor and walls were tiled. In 1946 offices at rear were improved by roughcasting. Two new windows were added to the upper floor and a new staircase.

In 1953 the hotel was taken over by Joseph E Browne who advertised Swanbank in the pages of the Irish Times during the 1950s. The advertisements extolled its ‘Delightful sunny situation facing sea, convenient bathing…Excellent cuisine personally supervised, spacious diningroom, separate tables, own certified spring water, all bedrooms h and c with bedlights and Vi springs. Now refurnished and decorated.’ (Irish Times) Girvan surveyed the buildings in the early 1970s and noted the ‘upper-storey oriel windows, typical of Portrush and Portstewart’. (Girvan)

The property was listed in 1977 and since the first survey photograph was taken, the windows to the main building have been replaced (c1985) and the two storey extension to the side has been substantially altered/rebuilt (c1990). The hotel which was formerly painted white, has now been pebble-dashed. (HB file)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/2/1 First Edition OS Map 1831-2
2. PRONI OS/6/1/2/2 Second Edition OS map 1853
3. PRONI OS/6/1/2/3 Third Edition OS Map 1906
4. PRONI OS/6/1/2/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1921-31
5. PRONI OS/6/1/2/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1946-50
6. PRONI OS/8/42/1-2 – Town Plans of Portrush (1895-6)
7. PRONI VAL/12/A/1/120Valuer’s notes 1906
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/6/2A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/4/22A-D Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
10. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/30 First General Revaluation 1933-57
11. PRONI VAL/3/D/1/15/A/21 First General Revaluation 1933-57
12. 1901 census online
13. 1911 census online
14. HB file – 03/010/005A
15. Belfast Newsletter 15th June 1889
16. Irish Times 21st February 1953

Secondary Sources

1. Girvan, W D “Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in North Antrim including the towns of Portrush, Ballymoney and Bushmills” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1975

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
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

A mid-Victorian two-bay three storey terraced townhouse with projecting bay window, built 1867 and located to the east side of Kerr Street overlooking the harbour in Portrush town centre. Refurbished in recent years, the building has replacement fenestration throughout, which detracts from its original character. Despite this, the building retains its original proportions and some typical mid-Victorian detailing. As one of three, the building also remains of interest as part of an important group; alongside the neighbouring terrace (HB03/10/007A-C), numbers 29-31 are of special interest as one of the earliest surviving examples of Victorian waterfront development in the town.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age and S also applies.