13 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

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

The ground floor of the High Street façade consists of 4 panel door, not original, with deep fanlight with margined glazing, with narrow plain pilasters, supporting deep frieze and cornice, 2 steps up. Surround probably original. To the left 2, 12 pane double hung sliding sash windows, at first floor, similar windows of slightly lesser height and at second floor 2, 6 pane double hung sliding sash windows. Below ground floor windows 2 iron grills, height of plinth stone and equal width providing ventilation to underfloor or basement. A shallow flat stringcourse extends between 1st floor cills. Wall faced with coursed ashlar sandstone, ½ round metal gutter, downpipe and trunkhead shared with No. 11. Natural slated roof, gabled, stone faced chimney stack with cornice moulding.

On gable 2 no. narrow tall 5 pane fixed pvc windows asymmetrically placed at ground floor. Wall faced with coursed white limestone with sandstone quoins. Chimney stack sandstone. No barge, deep plinth. The rear wall of house obscured by No. 3 Market Street and a further 3 storey pitched roof back return. The 2nd floor windows consists of semi-circular arched 16 pane double hung sliding sash window and a 6 pane double hung sliding sash ditto. The exposed part of rear wall is faced with coursed white limestone with shallow setback at staircase window. Window heads in sandstone and also quoins. ½ round gutter, natural slates on roof. The pitched and gabled 2 storey return rendered in roughcast, unpainted with gable windows.

No. 13 is part of an overall symmetrical terrace composition fronting onto High Street. It has not been altered to front. No. 3 Market Street was not part of the original formal arrangement and appears to have been an addition to the plan or a change of mind.

Historical information

No. 13, end 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. 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. It is probably that No. 13 was intended to have a shopfront to maintain the symmetry, though there was a dispute with the Company in this respect. The corn store today illustrates the underuse of the project, plans of which were prepared in 1935 on the proposal of Bridger (Clerk of Works and Contractor) 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 purpose to which it is intended”.

The building was listed in 1975 and apart form the 2 storey back return is unchanged and well maintained.

References

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

Secondary Sources
1. Rowan A North West Ulster, Buildings of Ireland p. 425

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

Evaluation

An ashlar front faced sandstone end-terrace house, well maintained, part of a fine neo classical composition in late Georgian style.