16 HALL ST.

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and a half-storey, one-bay, rendered end-terrace house; previously a cafe. Principally rectangular in plan form with a slate duo-pitched roof, a single-storey cat-slide roof to rear and a rendered chimney stack to the NE side. Built c.1855; the name of the architect is unknown. Part of a symmetrically composed terrace of five listed buildings (HB08 05 008 A-E) located within the village of Maghera, on the southeast side of Hall Street,

Principal elevation, one-bay wide, faces North-West. Half-dormer to roof, with scalloped painted timber bargeboards, contains a single square-headed window opening with painted timber window (boarded up) and stone sill. On the ground floor, a timber shopfront window (boarded up) adjoins a single entrance doorway, with fixed transom light above a modern timber half-glazed door, that provides access directly from the footpath on the Hall Street. Walling at first floor has smooth rendered finish (painted) and vertical timber boarding (painted) on the ground floor.

The side elevation, facing North-East, has a painted smooth render finish. The one and a half-storey gable has two square-headed window openings that are irregularly spaced - a one-over-one timber sliding sash window at ground floor level and a small window at first floor. The single storey gable has one square-headed opening located between two surface mounted metal chimney stacks.

Rear elevation SE. has no original survey photographs.

Materials:
Roof: Natural slate
RWGs: Cast-iron
Walling: Smooth render (painted) & vertical timber siding
Windows: Timber.

Setting:

An end of terrace (NE) in a row of five listed buildings numbering 16 to 24 (HB08 05 008 A-E) on the southeast side of Hall Street, Maghera. The terrace is a symmetrical arrangement with a central two-storey house flanked on either side by two smaller one-an-a-half storey houses. Each end of terrace house has a matching half-dormer on the principal elevation.
The terrace fronts onto the footpath. The NE gable addresses a small walled garden with rubblestone wall to front set a little way back from the line of the front elevation and rendered block wall with concrete coping to the side.

Historical information

The house formerly on this site constituted the north end of an almost symmetrical terrace of that appears to have originally contained six properties. The construction date of this terrace is not certain. The first valuation town plan of c.1838 shows a long unbroken row containing nine dwellings none of which is recorded in the accompanying valuation book, all of which suggests that these were relatively modest structures – probably single-storey and quite likely thatched.

On the revised OS map of 1854, the same arrangement seems to be depicted, however, the present ‘detached’ row is shown on the valuation plan of 1857, indicating that it was built in the interim years. This date would not be inconsistent with (mildly) picturesque styling of the frontage, although it is common to find similarly fashioned buildings elsewhere of the 1820s-30s. It is possible also that the terrace may represent a remodeling of some of the pre-1850s structures, particularly given the low ridge heights of the ‘outer’ properties and the odd arrangement of windows to the taller central block, but it is difficult to confirm this without a detailed examination of the fabric.

The 1859 plan shows the block divided into six, with what was latterly No.16 occupied by Samuel Martin, and the rest (north to south) by Peter Campbell, High Browne, Thomas Hutchinson, Robert Clarke and Alexander Hipson. All possessed low valuations ranging from £1-10-0 to £2, with all leased from James Johnston Clark of Largantogher House.

Mr. Martin was succeeded as tenant by James Mullin some time around 1870. The property is recorded as vacant in 1885, with Joseph Kyle living there by 1890, followed by Catherine Smith in or just before 1892 and Rose Ferron in c.1899.

The sequence of occupants after this as listed in the valuation book is somewhat confusing, but it would appear that George or William Taylor had taken up the lease by at least 1904. As Rose Ferron is not listed as in this area in the 1901 census, it is possible that the ‘2nd class’ dwelling with stone or brick walls, a slate roof, three windows in front and four rooms in use, mentioned in the census as occupied by a George Taylor along with his wife and their infant son, may be a reference to this house. That said, the details of the George Taylor who was living in Hall Street at the time of the 1911 census, do not exactly correspond with those of 1901, although in both cases both are noted (appropriately!) as tailors by profession and neither is stated as having been able to read or write.

Whatever the case, the George and Matilda Taylor of 1911 continued to live at No.16 until the former’s death in 1946 and Matilda’s in 1952. After this, William Taylor is listed as the occupant, as well as freeholder and remained so until at least 1957.

Sometime before 1976 the property was converted to a café. Along with the rest of the terrace it was listed in July 1982.

By at least 1994 the building had become vacant and seemingly disused, and seems to have remained so into the 2000s. After falling into a dangerous condition, it was demolished in 2008.

HALL STREET was originally known as ‘Brewery Lane’, on account of a brewery belonging to Alexander Clark (1767-42) that stood on the western side of the street. It was renamed c.1860 in honour of Frances Clark, nee Hall, the wife of Alexander Clark’s son, James Johnson Clark (1809-91) of Largantogher House.

References – Primary sources
1 OS maps County series, Londonderry sheet 36 – 1832, 1854, 1905, 1927
2 PRONI VAL1B/534A-B First valuation Maghera parish – c.1831-c.38
3 PRONI VAL1D/5/1 Valuation town plan of Maghera – c.1838
4 PRONI VAL2B/5/37G Second valuation, Maghera parish – 1857
5 PRONI VAL2D/5/1 Second valuation town plan of Maghera – 1857
6 PRONI VAL12B//34/17A-G Annual valuation revision books, Maghera ED – 1860-1929
7 PRONI VAL12F/6/7/8 Valuation book, Maghera ED – 1930-35
8 PRONI VAL3C/6/17 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Maghera ED – 1936-57
9 PRONI VAL4C/6/4/9/2 Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland valuers and revaluation binders, Maghera ED - 1956-75*

*Unable for consultation at the time of this survey

Evaluation

This one and a half-storey, one-bay, rendered end-terrace house; was part of a symmetrically composed terrace of five listed buildings (HB08 05 008 A-E) located within the village of Maghera, on the southeast side of Hall Street,
The building was allowed to fall into a considerable state of disrepair and has since been demolished. Its loss unbalances the symmetrical composition of the terrace making it hard to read the original intention of the design and detracts from the quality of the streetscape.