44 James Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a three-storey former house; built c. 1896, The building now contains a ‘House of Prayer’. It is roughly rectangular in plan, stretching back to the east with a two-storey lean-to return, c. 1896, and a further single-storey extension beyond, c. 1960’s. It has a yard to rear accessed via an integral coach arch.
The building forms part of short matching terrace including (HB09/13/013B, and HB09/13/013C) within a long row of attached buildings along James Street.

The West elevation fronts directly onto James Street. The ground floor is composed of a doorway to the right, window to the centre and coach arch to the left.
The shallow-pointed arched doorway to the right has a panelled timber door and overlight. There are chamfered cut-granite surrounds to door, with a wrought-iron signage bracket over. The windows are paired with shallow-pointed arches and 1/1 timber sash frames. They have chamfered cut-granite surrounds as previous.
A further shallow-pointed coach arch to the left has cut granite surrounds, with a painted metal security gate and grill.

The upper levels contain shallow arched windows as before, and 1/1 timber sliding sash windows, the upper sash containing coloured glass in a checkered pattern. There is a stone string course to first floor with projecting stone string course at second floor and dentilled eaves course. There are two roundel windows to the second floor, with cut-stone surrounds. The roundel to the left has a carved timber quatrefoil frame and stained glass window, whereas the roundel to the right has a cut granite datestone inscribed ‘1896’; this is set within a quatrefoil panel. There is a paired window at second floor level with stone dressings as before. This is set below a small gablette which has a decorative carved painted timber bargeboard.

The ground floor of the front West elevation is faced with rock faced squared granite rubble. Upper floors are faced with red clay brick with stone string courses and dressings.
The stepped rear East elevation is faced with smooth render, with an irregular arrangement of timber sliding sash windows.
The main roof is artificial slate, with cast-iron rainwater goods. All original brick chimneys removed.

Return:
The flat-roofed single-storey extension, c. 1960’s has dry dash render set on a rendered base. It contains an assortment of timber casement windows, painted timber soffits and replacement uPVC rainwater goods. There is natural slate to the lean-to with original cast-iron downpipes.

Setting:
The building is set on the rising sloped pavement to the eastern side of James Street. It is located on the southern edge of the commercial centre of Cookstown. The mixed terrace is comprised mainly of Victorian buildings.

Historical information

As the date stone suggests, this property and its two matching neighbours to the south (nos.46 and 48, HB09/13/013B, C) were built in 1896. The building is first recorded as a ‘house and yard’ in the valuation book in 1897, with rateable value £19, and an Edward Liddle the leaseholder (and presumably the developer). A Thomas [?T.S.] Harbison is noted as the first occupant in 1898, being succeeded by a Thomas H. Crone in 1909. In 1910, a Robert J. Lindsay acquired the lease of this and the two houses to the south. An Alfred Moore Elliott is listed as resident in 1911, a Frederick S. Carson in 1912, and an Alfred George Elliott in 1914 [the same person as Alfred Moore Elliott?]. Noted as vacant in 1917, a James Malone became the occupant in 1918, followed by a John Malone in 1920, and a Peter Cosgrove in 1923. In 1936 Peter Cosgrove is recorded as the leaseholder, with a Patrick Kelly the tenant. Kelly was followed by a Sinclair Sloan in 1959, M. Smith in 1960, and a Kevin J. Smith in 1966.

References- Primary sources
1 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.]
2 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5H Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1895-99
3 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5K Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1889-99
4 PRONI VAL/12E/171/1/1-2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1892-97 [2 sheets]
5 PRONI OS/33/1/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
6 PRONI OS/9/10/2/1-2 OS plan of Cookstown, index map, 1895 [2 sheets]
7 PRONI OS/9/10/3/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
8 PRONI VAL/12E/171/2/1-3 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1897-1910 [3 sheets]
9 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7A Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1901-07
10 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7B Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1909-15
11 PRONI OS/33/2/1-4 OS plan, 1909 & 1918 [4 sheets]
12 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7C Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1916-29
13 PRONI VAL/3G/142/1 /1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1936-37 [4 sheets]
14 PRONI VAL/3C/7/8 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban, 1936-57
15 PRONI VAL/3G/142/2/1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1937-51
16 PRONI VAL/4B/6/10 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.1, 1956-72
15 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
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This late Victorian building is well proportioned and detailed and was constructed as one of a group of three similar properties which all maintain a large proportion of the original lively detailing and have group value with each other. (HB09/13/013A, B & C).