51 Gortagammon Road,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a detached single-storey house, built in the mid nineteenth century. It is long and rectangular in plan with a single-storey entrance porch to the front. There is an attached single-storey wing to the East gable, and a further single-storey shed to the East.
There are further linear outbuildings to the rear South. The house is accessed via a short laneway off Gortagammon Road to the North.

The roof is pitched with natural slate and overhanging eaves with timber corbelled brackets. There are three (rebuilt) chimneys to the roof. Chimneys are rendered with profiled stepped capping and octagonal brick chimney pots. All gable-ends have scalloped timber fascia boards. The chimneystacks and bargeboards are not to original designs but suit the style of the building. Rainwater goods are cast-iron.

External walls are unpainted roughcast render.

The front North elevation faces onto the Gortagammon Road. It has a projecting entrance porch to the centre flanked by two windows to teach side. The entrance porch has a single square-headed window to the front. There is a square-headed doorway to the side. The door is timber panelled with integral glazing. It is set on a cut-stone step. All windows to the front elevation are 2/2 timber sliding sash with render band surrounds, set on cut-stone sills.

The side West elevation is gable-ended and contains no openings. There are carved timber fascias to the eaves. There is a rendered chimney with profile stepped capping to the apex.

The rear South elevation has a square-headed timber sheeted door to the left, and three square-headed timber sliding sash windows to the right.

The side East elevation is gable-ended and is obscured by the single-storey wing. There are carved timber fascias to the eaves. There is a rendered chimney with profile stepped capping to the apex.

Returns:

Single-storey wing: This is located on the East gable of the main house. The front North elevation has a single square-headed window, as previous. The side East elevation is gable-ended. There is a square-headed timber casement window to the gable
The rear South elevation has a square-headed timber sheeted door. External walls are as before. The roof is as before. There are curved timber fascia boards to building eaves.

Single-storey shed: This shed is attached to the Eastern corner of the single-storey wing. It has no openings to the North and West.
The South elevation has a square-headed door. The East elevation has a square-headed timber casement window. Detailing as before

Outbuilding:
The outbuilding is long and linear in form. It has a series of small square-headed timber casement windows and painted timber sheeted single doors. There is a large timber sheeted door to the right. The roof is pitched with natural slate and overhanging eaves. There are no openings to the South, West or East elevations.

Setting:
The house is located at the base of a sloping field to the South of Gortagammon Road. It is accessed via a short laneway with a hedge to each side, and painted wrought-iron gates to the roadside. The house and outbuildings are located to North of Stewartstown, Southeast of Cookstown.

Historical information

This site is shown undeveloped on the OS map of 1854-57. A house was in place by 1860, however, the valuation book for that year recording the occupant as a James Wallace. Samuel Wallace acquired the freehold in 1908, and was still in residence in 1957.

The building shows stylistic elements (notably the chimneystacks) in common with other structures within this area built by the Lindesay family of Loughry (notably Lindesay Ville). It is not known whether this property had a formal relationship with the estate - i.e. whether it acted as the residence for an estate employee but it has the appearance of an estate steward's house.

References- Primary sources

1 PRONI VAL/12B/37/21A Annual valuation revision book, Tullaghoge ED, 1860-63
2 PRONI VAL/12B/37/21B Annual valuation revision book, Tullaghoge ED, 1864-80
3 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5C Annual valuation revision book, Tullaghoge ED, 1881
4 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5D Annual valuation revision book, Tullaghoge ED, 1881-94 5 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5E Annual valuation revision book, Tullaghoge ED, 1895-1912
6 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5F Annual valuation revision book, Tullaghoge ED, 1913-29
7 PRONI VAL/3B/7/5 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Tullaghoge ED 1935
8 PRONI VAL/3C/7/7 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Tullaghoge ED, 1936-57

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a picturesque cottage and a good example of a small estate building, possibly a steward's house. It is well proportioned and picturesque in character and has a significant presence in its setting, as well as an affinity with other buildings in the area attached to the Lindesayville estate.