48 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 two-storey extension beyond, c. 1960’s. There is a further modern pitched roof extension to the rear. The extension is L-shaped and accessed from a yard to the rear.
The building forms part of short matching terrace including (HB09/13/013A, and HB09/13/013B) within a long row of mixed terrace buildings along James Street.

The West elevation fronts directly onto James Street. The ground floor is composed of a doorway to the left and 2 windows to the right.
The shallow-pointed arched doorway has a panelled timber door and overlight. There are chamfered cut-granite surrounds to door. The windows are paired with shallow-pointed arches and 1/1 timber sash frames. It has chamfered cut-granite surrounds as previous.

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 is a roundel window to the second floor, with a cut-stone surround. The roundel has a carved timber quatrefoil frame and stained glass window. 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 West front wall 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 fibre cement slate, with cast-iron rainwater goods. All original brick chimneys removed.

Returns:
There is dry-dash render to both the modern flat-roofed two-storey return, and the L-shaped two-storey extension. Both returns contain an irregular arrangement of timber and uPVC casement windows and doors and uPVC rainwater goods. There is an additional wrought iron escape staircase with painted railings to the flat-roofed return.

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.44 and 46, HB09/13/013A, B) 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).

Samuel Richards MD is listed as the tenant in 1899, with a Sgt James Johnston following him in 1909. In 1910, a Robert J. Lindsay acquired the lease of this and the two matching houses to the north, and in the same year a Charles M. Richards (probably a relative of the abovementioned Samuel) is noted as the occupant. Richards appears to have remained there for only a matter of months, and was succeeded by a Thomas Crilly. The house is listed as vacant in 1912, with an Alex McGaffin resident in 1914, followed by a T.J. Crawford in 1918, Thomas Foster in 1921, a Mrs Boyd in 1922, Mary Jane Boyd in 1925, and Harry McIvor in 1929. In 1936, Peter Cosgrove is recorded as the tenant, becoming leaseholder in 1949. In 1950, F.D. Flanagan is listed as the occupant, followed by a James McAuley in c.1959. Mr. McAuley was still in residence in 1972.

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
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).