5-7 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3 storey, 2 bay wide mid-terrace house and shopfront, part of a symmetrical composition, faced with dressed ashlar stonework.

The ground floor of the High Street façade consist of modern shopfront with 2 single fanlighted entrance doors on each side with 2 large pane display windows between with 4 no. smaller panes over, all subdivided with narrow pilaster/mullions, under the display windows on mock plaster panel lined to look like crazy paving and incorporating 2 large metal grills providing ventilation to basement. One fanlight retains original marginal glazing the other subdivided vertically into 3. Over the display windows and one door a plastic name fascia. Both doors lead into shop. 3 steps ascend to shop floor.

At first floor 2 double hung sliding sash 12 pane windows and over these at second floor 2, 6 pane double hung sliding sash windows of square proportion. Wall above shopfront faced with ashlar sandstone, ½ round gutter, natural slated roof, stone faced chimney stacks. The door in the adjacent lateral passage of the breakfront centrepiece gives access to stairs leading to 1st and 2nd floors.

The rear of the building is partly obscured by a single storey back return which overlaps on the lateral passage and is a motley collection of stores with flat and lean-to roofs. The upper floors have a 12 pane double hung sliding sash window at 1st floor and directly over a 6 pane double hung sliding sash window. Also at 1st floor an oculus and above a semi-circular headed 16 pane double hung sliding sashwindow lighting original staircase. Wall faced with coursed white limestone at upper levels. ½ round gutter, natural slated roof.

No. 5/7 is part of an overall symmetrical composition fronting onto High Street and screening the market yard from it.

See illustrations in Camblin’s Town in Ulster for the ground floor shopfronts c 1950.

Historical information

This terrace house is part of the 2nd market project carried out in Moneymore by the Draper’s Company. It was designed by the Company’s architect, William John Booth, a most ambitious scheme and probably a white elephant. O.S. Memoirs refers to it “The Company are erecting a very handsome and capacious grain store and another market house, which is expected to cost from 5000 to 6000 pounds”. The Company’s map of Improvements proposed by the Deputation of 1839 shows the formal arrangement of the complex bound on the west and north by High Street and Market Street respectively. The cornstore today illustrates the underuse of the project, plans of which were prepared in 1835 on the proposal of Bridger who said there was a need for such. The project was completed in 1839. “The whole pile of buildings is extremely well executed, has a most striking and ornamental appearance and is admirably calculated for the purposes to which it is destined”.

The building was listed in 1975. Was occupied by the Manager of Moneymore Co-op Agricultural & Fruit Growers Society at that time. In 1976 by M Barrett when repairs were carried out to the windows. In 1979 Thomas Campbell, butcher carried out alterations, Rooney & McConville were architects and grant assistance obtained from NIHE. In 1984 the building received a Historic Buildings Grant. The present owner occupied the building in 1990 and had the present name fascia erected.

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Co Londonderry XI, 1821, 1833, 1836-7, p. 38
Ed by Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams, QUB
2. Curl J.S. Moneymore and Draperstown UAHS.
3. Curl J.S. The Londonderry Plantation 1609-1914 p.215
4. O.S. Map 1832 Londonderry sh. 46.
5. O.S. Map 1832 Rev. 1856 Londonderry sh. 46.
6. Notes, 1st Survey, E.H.S. Hill Street, Belfast

Secondary Sources
1. Rowan A North West Ulster, Buildings of Ireland p. 425
2. Camblin G, The Town in Ulster, Ill 58 facing p. 81.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A stone faced mid-terrace house with shop front, part of a fine neo-classical composition in late Georgian style, spoiled by poorly considered shopfront and internal arrangement but nevertheless can be redeemed with appropriate restoration.