73 MAIN ST.

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey two-bay painted rendered mid-terrace house. Rectangular plan-form with a fibre cement pitched roof; unpainted rendered chimney stack to the NW side has a stepped cornice. Set within a terrace row along Main Street Bushmills. Built prior to 1834. Situated on the west side of Main Street with views north to the Market Square. Main Street is aligned parallel with the Bush River to the west.

Walling is of painted rendered with textured finish to front elevation; two separate single entrance doorways’ on ground floor level, accessed directly from the footpath on the Main Street. Traditional shop front on ground floor; first floor windows are of timber sliding sashes painted in contrasting colours on painted sills; uPVC rainwater goods throughout.

Principal elevation faces north-east accessed directly off paved footpath to the Main Street; three bays wide on ground floor and two bays on first floor above (left side bays are aligned); all windows and doors and fascia are painted in contrasting colour. Entrance doorway on left side contains a vertically sheeted timber door with plain glazed transom light over; main entrance doorway (almost centred on elevation) contains a pair of timber panelled doors with a glazed transom light over all set within a slightly recessed timber frame surround with small carved timber corbel brackets to either side of transom light with a scalloped detail to lead flashing above; shop front contains a large single glazed pane having a rising timber shutter with metal fittings, all painted in contrasting colour; ceramic tiled signage above shop front spells 'GLASS'S Fruiterer Florist Est. 1986'.

South-east gable is adjoined to neighbouring property 'No. 75 - The Courthouse' [HB05.08.050].

South-west elevation to the rear is set within a gated enclosed yard with three stone-rendered outbuildings to the SW side; main elevation is of two-storeys, walling is of unpainted render with textured finish; first floor contains there square headed window openings equally spaced (each concealed with plywood sheeting); ground floor is abutted by a single storey unpainted rendered extension (spanning the full width of the rear elevation and site); there is a single doorway on the ground floor of rear extension leading to a small yard; extension contains a shallow pitched lean-to corrugated metal roof having uPVC rainwater goods throughout; rear yard contains three small disused former outbuilding, each have unpainted rendered walling with textured finished, small timber casement windows and door openings have vertically sheeted timber doors with traditional metal door furniture and lean-to metal corrugated roof finishes; uPVC rainwater goods to outbuildings.

North-west side adjoined to neighbouring property [HB05/08/052] No. 69 Main Street.

Setting:
The terrace row is situated on the West side of the Main Street with views North to towards the Market Square. Located to the South of the Village of Bushmills.

Materials:
Roof: Fibre Cement
RWGs: uPVC
Walling: Render
Windows: Timber sliding sash.

Historical information

Nos 71-73 Main Street, a two-storey two-bay building located on the west side of Main Street and abutting the north gable of the adjoining former Courthouse (No. 75), was constructed prior to 1834 as part of the general rebuilding of Bushmills in the early-19th century. The Bushmills Conservation Area Guide records that Bushmills was a significant settlement before the end of the 18th century but from the 1820s the village was extensively rebuilt by the MacNaghten family of Bushmills House (who had acquired the estate in 1787). Nos 71-73 Main Street was first recorded on the Townland Valuation Town Plan (c. 1834) which depicted the building as a terraced structure which possessed a small outbuilding to rear. The contemporary Townland Valuations (1835) described nos 71-73 Main Street as a 1B+ class structure (that is a slated building of medium age, but still in sound order and good repair) that measured 20ft by 28ft and stood 16.6ft in height. The valuer also noted that the building was initially valued at £5, possessed a stable as its sole outbuilding, and was occupied by a Mr. Thomas Edgar as a private dwelling and shop.

There was little alteration made to the layout of nos 71-73 Main Street by the mid-19th century and the second edition Ordnance Survey map (1855). The contemporary Griffith’s Valuation (1859) noted that the building had been increased in value to £5 and 10 shillings and was leased by a Mr. Daniel McCurdy to Thomas Nicholl, a local merchant. Nos 71-73 Main Street was occupied by John Templeton, a butcher who operated a shop from the premises, between c. 1868 and c. 1891. By the turn of the 20th century the house was occupied by Archibald McCurdy, a local boot and shoemaker. The 1901 Census of Ireland described nos 71-73 Main Street as a 2nd class shop and dwelling that consisted of six rooms. The contemporary Ordnance Survey Town Plan (1902) depicted few changes to the site and continued to record the small outbuilding to rear (now demolished). By c. 1911 the house had passed to Charles McCurdy, a merchant tailor, who remained at the address until c. 1930. The value of nos 71-73 Main Street was increased to £12 and 10 shillings under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) which noted that the property had been purchased outright by William John White, a local boot merchant. The White family continued to reside at nos 71-73 Main Street until at least the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) at which time its total rateable value stood at £24.

In 1972 the UAHS Guide for North Antrim described the buildings along Main Street in Bushmills in the following general terms: ‘A well-scaled street. Many good doorways and shopfronts remain, although there is the usual profusion of signs. While no building apart from the former Courthouse is worthy of individual mention, the unity of the street frontages must be maintained’ (UAHS Guide, p. 16). Nos 71-73 Main Street was listed in 1980 and was subsequently included in the Bushmills Conservation Area. The conservation area was designated in 1992 in order to preserve the built heritage of the village which possesses the highest number of listed buildings in the North East of Northern Ireland (Bushmills Conservation Area Guide; NIEA HB Records).

References
Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/3/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/3/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1855)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/3/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1904)
4. PRONI VAL/1/D/1/7 – Townland Valuation Town Plan (c. 1834)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/132 – Townland Valuations (1835)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/25A – Griffith’s Valuation (1859)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/8A-D – Annual Revisions (1859-1894)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/4/6A-C – Annual Revisions (1895-1929)
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/13 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
10. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/22 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
11. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1918)
12. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
13. First Survey Record – HB05/08/51
14. NIEA HB Records – HB05/08/051
Secondary Sources
1. Girvan, W. D., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings & areas of architectural importance in North Antrim’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1972.
2. ‘Bushmills Conservation Area Guide’ Belfast: Department of the Environment, 1992 – includes Ordnance Survey Town Plan (1902).

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

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

Evaluation

No 71-73 is a two-storey two-bay painted and rendered mid-terrace house, built c 1830. A noteworthy example of modest, good mannered urban vernacular, set within a terrace on Bushmill's Main Street, immediately adjacent to the former courthouse. Very good setting - the juxtaposition and contrast in scale between the court house and this building is particularly striking - and strong group value. Front facade is of particular interest with lively fenestration, significant original fabric, informal disposition of openings and characterful shop front.

General comments

Shop front and signage are subtle but expressive and inviting; attractive window display conserving the historic features of shop fronts positively contributing to the overall village character.