68 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey two-bay smooth-rendered painted mid-terrace former house with a large single storey extension to the rear c. 2004 spanning the full length of the site. Rectangular plan-form with shop front on ground floor level. Slated pitched roof has a single unpainted rendered chimney stacks to the SE side, centred on ridge. Set within a terrace row along Main Street Bushmills. Built c. 1834 to designs by unknown architect. No. 68 Main Street was occupied by a chemist’s shop in the late-20th century and that the current modern return was added to the building in c. 2004 in order to increase its ground floor retail space. Situated on the East side of the Main Street directly overlooking the Market Square to the North. Located to the South of the Village of Bushmills with the Main Street aligned parallel with the Bush River to the West side.

Walling is of smooth rendered painted finish to front and rear elevations; shop floor on ground floor accessed directly from the footpath on the Main Street. Windows on first floor level are timber sliding sashes on sills, all painted in contrasting colour; painted rendered corner quoins to right side only of front elevation; uPVC rainwater goods throughout.

Principal elevation faces South-west accessed directly off paved footpath on the Main Street; two-bays wide on first floor; ground floor has a modern timber shop front with a recessed doorway, signage above spans the width of the elevation. First floor level has two bays containing 1/1 timber sliding sashes; painted rendered corner quoins to right side only; uPVC rainwater goods to front elevation.

North-west side elevation is adjoined to neighbouring property No. 66 [HB05.08.079]. Rear return extends the full length of the site to a high concrete wall at the NE side; NW side of extension walling is of smooth-render with painted finish containing a flush timber 'fire exit' door, remaining elevation is blank.

North-east elevation is abutted by a single storey pitched roof extension; walling is of smooth-rendered finish. Full access to rear elevation not possible due to close proximity of boundary wall.

South-east side is adjoined to neighbouring property No. 64 Main Street.

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

Materials:
Roof: Natural Slate
RWGs: uPVC
Walling: Smooth render painted
Windows: timber sliding sash.

Historical information

No. 68 Main Street, a two-storey two-bay building possessing a double shopfront to ground floor, was constructed in c. 1834 along with the adjoining No. 66 as part of the reconstruction of the village 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 66-68 Main Street were first recorded on the Townland Valuations Town Plan (c. 1834) which depicted the buildings along their current layout. The contemporary Townland Valuations (1835) described No. 68 Main Street as a 1A class structure (that is a new or nearly new slated building) that measured 21ft by 28ft and stood 19ft in height. The valuer set the initial value of the building at £5 and noted that it was occupied as a dwelling by a Mr. David McElveney.

In the mid-19th century Griffith’s Valuation (1859) noted that No. 68 Main Street was divided into two separate dwellings, each of which were valued at £3 and 10 shillings. The valuer noted that the dwellings were leased by John Richmond, a prominent local farmer, to David McElveney and a Mr. John Templeton. The Annual Revisions Town Plan (1909-c. 1935) records that that land to the rear of nos 66-68 Main Street was known as Richmond’s Court and consisted of many minor dwellings, all of which are now demolished. No. 68 Main Street was converted back into a single property in c. 1874 when the Annual Revisions set the value of the building at £7 and noted that it was leased to a Mrs. Mary Jane Twaddle by Richmond. By the turn of the 20th century No. 68 Main Street was occupied by David McConaghy, a local grocer who operated his shop from the premises.

The 1901 Census of Ireland described the building as a 2nd class shop and dwelling that consisted of six rooms and possessed stable, coach house, a cow house and a barn as its out offices. The contemporary Ordnance Survey Town Plan (1902) depicted No. 68 Main Street along its current terraced-layout and noted a number of minor outbuildings to rear (now replaced). The value of No. 68 Main Street was increased to £18 under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) which recorded that the site had been purchased outright by a Mr. Samuel Morrison. The dwelling and shop at No. 68 Main Street continued to be occupied by Morrison until at least the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) at which time the total rateable value of the building stood at £39.

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). No. 68 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. The NIEA HB Records note that No. 68 Main Street was occupied by a chemist’s shop in the late-20th century and that the current modern return was added to the building in c. 2004 in order to increase its ground floor retail space (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 (c. 1835)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/25A – Griffith’s Valuation (1859)
7. PRONI VAL/12/E/56/2 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1909-c. 1935)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/8A-D – Annual Revisions (1859-1894)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/4/6A-C – Annual Revisions (1895-1929)
10. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/13 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
11. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/22 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
12. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1918)
13. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
14. First Survey Record – HB05/08/80
15. NIEA HB Records – HB05/08/080
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

Two-storey, two-bay smooth-rendered and painted mid-terrace former house, built c. 1834 along with its neighbour No. 66 (HB05/08/079), as part of the reconstruction of the village of Bushmills in the early 19th century. No 68 is located within a terrace row on the east side of Main Street Bushmills, with Market Square to the north-west. The building is of rectangular plan-form with a shop front on ground floor level, and a large single storey extension to the rear c. 2004. While the interior has been modernised, the building retains much of its external historic character to the street, with its painted stepped quoins to right side and its timber sliding sash windows to first floor level. It contributes positively to the historic character of the Bushmills Conservation Area.