29 The Diamond

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Symmetrical terraced three-storey stucco-fronted commercial building, built c.1911, to the designs of Samuel J. McFadden, with a pedimented central breakfront and a modern shopfront to the ground floor. Rectangular on plan facing south and abutted to the rear by a large single-storey retail building opening through the carriage arch onto The Diamond.

Pitched natural slate roof with rendered chimneystacks to either end. Roof set behind rendered parapet wall with modillioned cornice and a cast-iron box hopper and square-profile cast-iron downpipes breaking through to either end. Painted stucco rendered walling, plain render to rear. Square-headed window openings with architrave surrounds and entablature, moulded sills and single-pane timber sash windows.

Front elevation is five windows wide, the central bay forming a shallow breakfront. The parapet cornice is punctuated by an elongated modillioned broken-based pediment surmounting the breakfront and emphasized with rusticated quoins. Lead-lined pediment is embellished with a cartouche and foliate swags. Replacement shopfront and fascia occupies most of the ground floor with a round-headed arch to the east bay having cement rendered surround and opening into a tiled shopping arcade.

West side elevation abutted by adjoining commercial building.

Three-storey rendered rear elevation has a full-height projection on the right with square-headed window openings and single-pane timber sash windows. Ground floor abutted by large single-storey flat-roofed retail extension, built c.1990, extending to the rear of the terrace and car park.

East side elevation abutted by adjoining commercial building.

Setting
Prominently sited on the north side of Coleraine’s central square, ‘The Diamond’ , as part of a varied terrace of commercial and formerly domestic buildings overlooking the Town Hall (HB03/18/001).

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Render
Windows Timber sash

Historical information

The present commercial premises in the Diamond was built in 1911-12, replacing an earlier building on the site, and is first shown on the fourth edition OS map of 1923. In 1911 the Hill Brothers, drapers who had formerly held premises in Church Street, took over the building in the Diamond and rebuilt it, perhaps incorporating earlier fabric, and increasing the valuation from £29 to £80. The architect was probably Samuel John McFadden who is known to have designed a new house and shop in the Diamond in 1911. McFadden was the designer of numerous houses and shops in the Coleraine and wider area and was Assistant County Surveyor for Coleraine and Ballymena Rural District Councils as well as being ‘one of the best salmon fishers in the north of Ireland’ (www.dia.ie).

Valuer’s notes of the 1930s record that the Hill Brothers ran their drapers shop on the ground floor of the building and had a fitting room, office, cloakroom and workrooms to the rear, with a WC in the yard behind. Offices on the upper floors were let to a variety of tenants including the Theosophical Society and the Royal Liver Friendly Society, and domestic accommodation was occupied by William Keely. The upper floors were taken over by Hill Brothers in 1955 and the first floor was converted into a modern showroom with lighting and heating. The second floor was partly used as stock rooms. The building continues in use as commercial premises.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/7/1 First Edition OS Map 1830
2. PRONI OS/6/5/7/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-50
3. PRONI OS/6/5/7/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/7/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1923
5. PRONI OS/6/5/7/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1949
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9A-N Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/4 First General Revaluation 1933-57
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/2/A/6 First General Revaluation 1933-57

Secondary Sources
1. www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

Symmetrical terraced three-storey stucco-fronted commercial building, built c.1911, with a pedimented central breakfront and a modern shopfront to the ground floor. Forming part of a varied terrace of commercial and formerly domestic buildings lining the north side of The Diamond and overlooking the Town Hall (HB03/18/001). The development of the modern arcade has resulted in th eloss of most of the original walls at ground and first floor, and the modern shopfronts both front and back detract from the integrity of the decorative façade and historic setting. Though the building forms part of the varied character of this urban square, insufficient original historic detailing remains for it to be considered of special interest.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age and S - Authenticity also apply.