7-9 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey building in a terrace, four windows wide to the first floor, with a modern shop front occupying the full width of the ground floor. Roof looks like Bangor blue slates in regular courses, continuous with roof over numbers 11-13 to the left. Projecting moulded and bracketed eaves course with concealed gutter behind it; circular section cast iron downpipe. Wall of smooth render, painted, to first floor; moulded surrounds to first floor windows; projecting string course at cill level with two plain string courses to each end and between windows, at intermediate levels. First floor windows rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 1 over 1, with horns; recessed frames. Electric cabling attached across first floor, running between eaves cornice and window heads. Modern plaque fixed to wall between first and second windows from left inscribed “John Wesley preached here 4th July, 1771. Presented by Betty Apsley”. Ground floor comprises two large shop windows with canted fronts recessed deeply in the centre to accommodate entrance set back from a free-standing square pier surmounted by a modern shop sign.

Setting: the building stands in the main street of the town immediately facing the pavement. It originally formed part of a uniform composition with the building abutting it to the left, a listed shop which retains its original shop front; to the right it is abutted by a three-storey Edwardian building, formerly a bank which has a modernised ground floor.

Historical information

Date of building not known but appears on the OS map of 1832 and may be taken to date from the early 19th century; a later plaque on the front stating that John Wesley preached here on 4th July 1771 may be taken to relate to a previous building on the site.

Photographs in the Lawrence and Green Collections show it in its 19th and early 20th century condition.

References - Primary

1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 40.
2. Photograph in the Lawrence Collection, National Library of Ireland (R3104).
3. Photograph in the Green Collection, UFTM (WAG 528).

Secondary

1. D Corcoran, A Tour of East Antrim (Belfast, 1990), p 4 (reproduces photograph from Green Collection).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A 19th century building which retains its original external features on the first floor only but has a thoroughly modernised ground floor facade.