51-57 Ann Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 6 bay wide, 3 storey building with basements and back returns. On ground floor to Ann St from left entrance door to flats with neo classical surround of pilasters, frieze and pediment in plaster, shopfront with recessed entrance, door with upper single glazed panel, large display window on each side and returned onto entrance, a pilaster on each side, further along another display window with 3 large panes and pilasters on each side. Over display window a long glass name fascia with cornice and bold lettering. Finnegans in gold lettering. At end of façade, another door, with glazed panel and rectangular fanlight.

At 1st floor a continuous stringcourse in line with 1st floor windows. High above each window and a little below the gutter 6 no. oculii, with centre mullion. Façade wall cement rendered, lined and painted below stringcourse. Single aluminium downpipe, ½ round gutter. Roof slated with 2 velux rooflights. Chimneystacks at each end.

To the rear the building is 4 floors high including basement with 2/3 storey back returns, between the returns galvanised steel fire escape stairs. The flats are entered from Ann Street and rear of building. To access rear entrances it is necessary to go through entry/gateway of No. 49 where there is step gradient to lower level.

Windows to flats are PVC vertical 2 pane type. Between the returns some former double hung sliding sash 4 pane windows are retained as are the oculii to the rear.

Walls are smooth rendered, lined and unpainted. Roof natural slated with 2 no. velux rooflights. Behind the building a stone faced store (HB05/14/014F).

No. 51/57 continues the building line of Ann St and though not much higher than No. 49 reads is as a large building.

Historical information

Precise date of building not known but it is shown for the first time on the OS map of 1904. The building probably erected c 1900. It has shops on ground floor and the first floor with high ceiling was a dance/recreation hall. It originally had 2 shops on ground floor one which was a chemist shop and the other retail shop, later a hot food bar. A previous owner was M. Kelly. The historical relationship between the upper floors of this block and those of the adjoining building at No. 59 is uncertain. The original ornate shopfront inscribed ‘Ramsay’ was removed in stages during the 1980s and 1990s.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1904, Co Antrim 9.
2. Information from owner in 2000.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A 6 bay wide, 3 storey building with basements and back returns. An early 20th century building with complementary shopfront of recent date. The unusual design of circular windows at first floor is reflective of its original function as a dance hall with shops below. It forms a group with its neigbour to the north which is of similar design.