62 James Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a terraced two-storey former house; built c. 1838, it is now in use as two apartments. It is rectangular in plan with a two-storey pitched and flat roofed return to the rear North. External walls are rendered.
The building forms part of a mixed terrace within a long row of buildings along James Street.

The West elevation fronts directly onto James Street. The ground floor has a doorway to the centre with a canted bay window to each side. The doorway is square-headed with a panelled timber door. There is a coloured glass and leaded overlight to the door. There is a projecting carved shouldered surround to the door and a projecting carved timber cornice over.
The canted bay windows have segmental-headed windows with chamfered window surrounds. There are 1/1 timber sash frames set on a continuous carved stone sill. There is a projecting cornice to the top of the canted bay
The upper level has tripartite 1/1 timber sliding sash windows on painted cut stone sills.

The rear East elevation is dry dash render. It has an assortment of square-headed timber casement windows and doors. There is a metal stair leading from first floor to the rear yard.

There is natural slate to the main roof, and a brick chimney with profiled stepped capping. Rainwater goods are cast iron.

Returns:
The return is pitched to the South with a flat-roofed bay to the North. It has an assortment of timber casement and uPVC windows and doors.
The external walls are dry dash render. There is artificial slate to roofs and uPVC rainwater goods.

Historical information

A house matching the main front section of the present is shown on the c.1838 valuation plan. This is recorded in the January 1835 valuation as a relatively old dwelling (quality letter ‘1B’) occupied by a John Sterret, with a rateable value of £13-9-8 and the occupant paying a rent of £24. The dimensions are listed as, 45½ft x 20 x 17, ‘& upper part’ 19 x 20 x 8, with offices of 37 x 20 x 15, 29 x 17½ x 15 and 28½ x 19 x 8½, the latter thatched. The rateable value is given in the c.1838 valuation modification as £11-4-0.

By 1859 the building was in the hands of a James Cluff, held directly by him from the Gunning-Moore estate and rated at £30. In 1862, according to the valuers, James Cluff passed the house on to his son Richard. Richard Cluff vacated the house in 1879, and rented it to a William Craig, who, by 1883, was occupying it jointly with a John Sinclair. In 1890 the lease, (and that of the property to the immediate south, present no.64, HB09/13/011F), was acquired by a James McVeigh, who evidence suggests was responsible for the addition of the bays. Henry A. Mann is recorded as the resident in 1890, remaining there until 1892, when he moved next door (no.64). He was succeeded by a James Cotton in 1893-94, with leaseholder James McVeigh taking up residence himself in 1899

An 1899 entry in the valuers’ office notebook contains a plan of the property similar to that we see today. The accompanying notes inform us that the main front section of the house had been recently ‘improved’, probably a reference to the adding of the bays. The rear the projecting section, (measuring 16ft x 24 x 21), attached to the south side of the long return to the north, was another recent ‘addition’. Margaret McVeigh became leaseholder and occupant some time between c.1930 and c.1935, with an Alice McVeigh recorded as the tenant in 1937. In 1939 the lease was in the hands of a Mrs Bowlly, Mrs Trench and Mrs Hyde-Smyth (who appear to have acquired, or inherited large sections of the Gunning-Moore estate in the mid 1900s). Alice M. Evans is recorded as the occupant in 1969.

References- Primary sources
1 ‘Pigot & Co's Provincial Directory of Ireland’, (Manchester, 1824)
2 PRONI OS/9/10/1 OS plan of Cookstown, 1833
3 PRONI VAL/1B/622A First valuation, Derryloran parish, 1834-c.1838
4 PRONI VAL/1D/6/2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, c.1838
5 Lewis, Samuel, ‘A topographical dictionary of Ireland…’ vol.1, (London, 1837)
6 ‘Slater's Commercial Directory of Ireland’, (Manchester, 1846)
7 PRONI VAL/2C/63 Second valuation, Union of Cookstown (Dublin, 1859) [This is the printed version of the second valuation. The handwritten version (which may have been more detailed and include property dimensions etc.) no longer exists. The printed volume merely provides names of tenants and leaseholders, and rateable values.]
8 PRONI VAL/2D/6/3/1-2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1859-82 [2 sheets]
9 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5A Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1860-63
10 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5B Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1864-68
11 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5C Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1868-81
12 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5D Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1881
13 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5E Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1881
14 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5F Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1882-90
15 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5G Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1882-88
16 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5J Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1889-94 [The reference number for this book is out of sequence in the
PRONI catalogue- the dates it covers are actually earlier than VAL/12B/37/5H.]
17 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5H Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1895-99
18 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5K Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1889-99
19 PRONI VAL/12E/171/1/1-2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1892-97 [2 sheets]
20 PRONI OS/33/1/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
21 PRONI OS/9/10/2/1-2 OS plan of Cookstown, index map, 1895 [2 sheets]
22 PRONI OS/9/10/3/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
23 PRONI VAL/12A/6/11 Valuers’ office notebook, Cookstown Union, 1895-1900, p.121
24 PRONI VAL/12E/171/2/1-3 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1897-1910 [3 sheets]
25 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7A Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1901-07
26 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7B Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1909-15
27 PRONI OS/33/2/1-4 OS plan, 1909 & 1918 [4 sheets]
28 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7C Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1916-29
29 PRONI VAL/3G/142/1 /1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1936-37 [4 sheets]
30 PRONI VAL/3C/7/8 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban, 1936-57
31 PRONI VAL/3G/142/2/1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1937-51
32 PRONI VAL/4B/6/10 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.1, 1956-72
33 PRONI VAL/4B/6/11 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.2E, 1956-72

Secondary sources
1 Oram, R.W. and Rankin, P.J., Historic buildings…Dungannon & Cookstown (Belfast, UAHS, 1971)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This house represents an important part of the early nineteenth century Cookstown. The majority of the special interest is in the front block and front elevation which has good proportions and detailing. It has group value with the adjacent buildings from the same period.