3 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, three-storey end of terrace shop with apartment over, built c.1840, possibly as a police station. The property is set at the end of Main Street.

The front elevation faces roughly S and is asymmetrical. Slightly to the left of centre on the ground floor is the main entrance now the entrance to the shop. This consists of a large elliptical-arched opening with a recessed panelled timber double door and elliptical fanlight with ‘petal’ tracery. The opening is encased with reeded pilasters and a moulded archivolt with keystone. The pilasters have a ‘sharp’ appearance suggesting they are recent replacements.

To the left of the entrance there is a relatively small window with moulded surround and horned timber sash window with plate glass. To the right of the entrance there is a shop front with recently-added period style detailing, including large window with three segmental arch-headed lights, fluted pilaster jambs with decorative brackets, and a painted signboard. To the first floor there are three uniform, but unevenly-spaced windows, as ground floor left. To the second floor there are three shorter windows, with modern timber frames made to resemble sash ones. These windows do not have surrounds. The front elevation is finished in painted lined render with a bevelled base course and raised ‘in-out’ quoins. Decorative railings have been placed along this side of the building.

The E gable is finished in the same manner as the front of the building, but does not have any openings.

To the right hand (W) side of the rear elevation there is a large two-storey lean-to projection, which appears to be a recent extension. To the ground floor of the N face of this projection there is a small window to left and a doorway to its right. The window has a modern timber frame and the doorway has a recent timber door with small glazed panel. To the first floor there is a broad window with modern timber frame. To the E face of the projection there is an upper level doorway with recent timber –sheeted door with small glazed panel and strap hinges. This doorway is accessed via a modern metal ‘fire escape’ stair. To the rear façade of the main section of the building there is a window to right at first floor level, with horned timber sash frame and plate glass. The whole of the rear elevation is finished in unpainted roughcast with a recessed smooth cement render base course and raised ‘in-out’ quoins. The openings have smooth cement render surrounds, with smooth cement render to the wall edges of the projection.

The gabled roof is slated to the front, but the back appears to be covered in asbestos ‘slates’. The rear is a small Velux window to the back. There are two rendered chimneystacks. The roof covering of the lean-to projection could not be seen. Cast-iron rainwater goods to front, PVCu rainwater goods to rear.

To the rear of the building there is a concrete-covered yard, with large two-storey gabled outbuilding to N side. This outbuilding has a finish as the rear elevation of the main building, as well as modern window frames, recent replaced doors etc. The roof is covered in corrugated-iron.

Historical information

This site is shown undeveloped on the OS map of 1832, but a building matching the shape of the present, is shown on the revised map of 1857. In the valuation of 1859, the property is recorded as occupied by the ‘Constabulary force’, (who leased from a James McBride), with the dimensions given as 11yrds x 8 x 3(storeys), with an outbuilding of 12 x 5 x 2. The valuers grade the building ‘1B+’ suggesting that it may have been built around 1840, or slightly earlier. The OS Memoirs of 1835 make comment on the number of new buildings under construction in Armoy at that point, and perhaps this was one of them. It is not certain whether the property was actually constructed as a house and was only later used by the Constabulary, but its ‘domestic’ appearance suggests it was.

The Constabulary continued to hold the building until 1895, when it was leased to a James Blair. Blair was followed in 1903 by a Daniel Morrison, who also acquired the freehold. The Morrison family remained in possession of the property until 1963, when it is recorded in the valuation book as occupied by a Margaret Cusick, with a Rev McAllister the leaseholder.

The first survey photograph of October 1972 shows that the building had a shop front by that date, the shop containing a drapers run by Ms. Cusick. It remained as such until at least 1979, but had been converted to a chip shop by August 1986.

According to the present owner, the building was completely renovated c.1990 and ‘gutted’ in the process. It was undoubtedly at this stage that the rear projection was added, (it is not shown on the 1970s OS map).

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/1/13/1 OS map, Co Antrim, sheet 13 (1832)
2 PRONI VAL/1B/130 First valuation, Armoy parish [Cary Barony] (1834)
3 OS Memoirs, Parish of Armoy, (1832-38), reprinted in ‘Ordnance Survey memoirs of Ireland…’ ed Angelique Day, Patrick McWilliams and Noirin Dobson (Belfast, QUB, 1994), p.4
4 PRONI OS/6/1/13/2 OS map, Co Antrim, sheet 13 (1857) [‘Constabulary Barrack’ is marked close to the building on this map, however the small scale of the map makes it difficult to be certain if it is actually this building it is referring to.]
5 PRONI VAL/2D/1/20d Valuation plan of Armoy (1859)
6 PRONI VAL/2B/1/23a Second valuation, Armoy parish [Cary Barony] (1859)
7 PRONI VAL/2B/1/23b Second valuation, Armoy parish [Cary Barony] (1859)
8 PRONI VAL/2B/1/37 Second valuation, Armoy parish [Upper Dunluce Barony] (1859)
9 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1a Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1864-78)
10 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1b Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1878-85)
11 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1c Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1885-1900)
12 Bassett, George Henry, ‘The Book of County Antrim’ (Dublin, 1888), p.87
13 EHS (MBR) Photograph showing Armoy Presbyterian church, (c.1900)
14 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1d Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1901-12)
15 PRONI VAL/12E/5/1/1 Valuation plan of Armoy (1906-35)
16 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1e Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1912-29)
17 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ (Belfast, 1905)
18 PRONI VAL/3B/1/4 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Ballycastle RD (1935)
19 PRONI VAL/3G/3/1/1 Valuation plan of Armoy (1935-56
20 PRONI VAL/3C/1/4 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland [annual revisions], Ballycastle RD (1936-57) ) [This valuation book is currently closed ‘according to the criteria set out in the White Paper on Open Government’.]
21 PRONI VAL/4B/1/9 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland [annual revisions], Ballycastle RD (1957-72)

Other
references
1 EHS HB05/05/006 First Survey report (26 September 1972)
2 EHS HB05/05/006 Photographs (Oct 1972, May 1979, Aug 1986)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large, three-storey end of terrace shop with apartment over, built c.1840, and used for much of the mid to later 19th century as a Constabulary barracks. This property has undergone extensive renovations in recent times some of which detract from its architectural interest. It does, however, still maintain good proportions, original openings to the front elevation and an impressive tear-drop fanlight and door suround to the main door; all contributing to a strong architectural character and making this a prominent building in this village.