63-65 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two bay, two-storey and two-and-a-half-storey commercial premises with traditional Art-Nouveau shop-front and split-level accommodation over the shop, built c.1900 and located to the west side of Main Street in Portrush town centre. Square on plan with two-storey return and two-storey extension to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles; rendered chimneystack with two terracotta pots and decorative bargeboards to gabled bay. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods with cast-iron downpipe and hopper; plastic guttering to canted bay window. Walling is painted smooth render. Windows are 2/2 timber sash with horns, 1/1 to attic window and plate glass windows to ground floor shop-front.

The principal elevation faces northeast and is divided into two bays over projecting full-width shop-front; right bay is half-a-storey higher with attic window to gable. Fully-glazed canted bay windows to first floor. Shop-front has recessed entrance porch at left and centre, each glazed to right side with concrete floor and original single panel timber doors surmounted by tall plain transom light. Shop-front has plate-glass windows with timber jambs (carved to right window) on painted smooth render stall risers; fluted pilaster jamb to centre and painted cast-iron column with decorative cast-iron spandrel bracket to far right. To right is a double-leaf glazed single panel timber door with brass pull-handle surmounted by plain transom light; set back with timber-sheeted ceiling and accessed via two concrete steps, flush with stall riser. Plain fascia is surmounted by ornate cast-iron balustrade with consoled end; applied signage reads “The Vintage”.

The northwest elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB03/10/014A.

The southwest elevation is abutted at left by two-storey return and series of modern extensions (see surveyor’s comments). Enclosed to alley to southwest by rubblestone and red-brick flat-roof outbuilding.

The southeast elevation is abutted by adjoining building HB03/10/013.
Setting:

Street-fronted to the west side of Main Street, enclosed yard to rear accessed via Mark Street Lane.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Painted smooth render
Windows: Timber sash with horns and plate-glass to shop-front
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

A building is first shown on the site on the second edition OS map of 1853 and it is possible that the current shop/dwelling retains some fabric from this early structure. However, the building had radically altered in plan form by the time of the first town plan in 1896 and was further altered in 1908 to give two separate shops. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) describes the building as a ‘very narrow small shop’ with a frontage of 10 feet run as a post office and valued at £10. The building was leased from Patrick Black.

Number 63/65 was improved in 1876 and the valuation raised to £12. The building was taken over by John Fleming as a boot and shoe shop in 1884 and in 1885 the valuation of this shop and its neighbour altered to £15, suggesting that by this time they were of a comparable size. In 1908 the building was altered again to give two shops and a dwelling house.
The two shops comprised a shop and workshop for Thomas Fleming the boot and shoe seller, valued at £12 and a stationery and ‘fancy warehouse’ sublet to Nathan Kamayor and valued at £10. The Fleming family lived over the shop in accommodation that was valued at £15 and comprised two sitting rooms, five bedrooms and outbuildings. Valuer’s notes show that a doorway on the right of the building leads into the upstairs accommodation.

At the time of the 1911 census, John Fleming, who describes himself as a ‘general dealer’ lived in the eight-room second-class dwelling above the shop with his wife and six children. The family kept two general domestics, young women of 15 and 19. Thomas Fleming, the boot and shoe seller appears not to have been John’s son but may have been a brother.
Nathan Kamayor bought the freehold of the shop in 1924 and in the 1930s the accommodation comprised a reception, two bedrooms, bathroom and WC, kitchen, scullery and pantry. Kamayor spent ‘a considerable sum’ on making the two shops into one. In 1953 the shop passed to Charles McConaghy and the McConaghy name is seen painted on the building in the first survey photograph. The premises have since become a vintage clothing and furniture shop. The building was listed in 1977 and in the 1990s renovation work took place to windows, roof, guttering and internal doors. (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/2/B/1/30B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
8. PRONI VAL/12/A/1/121 – Valuer’s Notes 1908
9. PRONI VAL/12/A/1/125 – Valuer’s Notes 1929
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/6/2A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/4/22A-D Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
12. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/30 First General Revaluation 1933-57
13. PRONI VAL/3/D/1/15/A/23 First General Revaluation 1933-57
14. 1901 census online
15. 1911 census online
16. HB file – 03/010/014A-D
17. Belfast and Ulster Street Directories 1900-1918

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
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

A two bay, two-storey and two-and-a-half-storey commercial premises with traditional Art-Nouveau shop-front, built c.1900 and located to the west side of Main Street in Portrush town centre. One of the few remaining traditional shop-fronts in the town, relatively well-preserved and of good quality, and an example of the more domestic scale of buildings that make up the architectural character of Main Street. Reflecting the commercial boom in Portrush at the turn of the century, number 63-65 makes an important contribution to the historic character of Portrush.

General comments

This record was previously 63 Main Street, HB03/10/014D was incorpoated into the record, Making it 63 - 65 Main Street Portrush.

Listing Criteria R - Age; S - Authenticity and T - Historic Importance also apply.