48 Molesworth Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a detached two-storey former GNR railway terminus, built c. 1876. The original building was divided into two distinct functions, the single-storey station and platform to the east, now in use as a hockey clubhouse, and the two-storey western stationmasters’ house, now in use as a day care centre.

The former railway terminus is long and rectangular in plan, whereas the adjoining former stationmasters’ house is L-shaped with a projecting two-storey porch to the inner corner of the L-shape. There are two long covered station platforms running parallel to the rear of the former station. A further single-storey return is incorporated under the platform, directly abutting the building, c. 2000. There is an additional single-storey return to East of the two-storey building, with a single-storey pre-fabricated building addition to yard.

The building forms part of a series of railway buildings, as part of the line between Cookstown and Dungannon.

The single-storey front South elevation to terminus is set back from the main road and has Flemish bond brick to external walls.
It has 1/1 timber sliding sash windows with margin panes and yellow and red brick voussoirs, saw tooth brick drip moulding and cut-stone sills to base.
There is a distinctive yellow brick string course along the elevation at window sill level, and again below drip moulding level. The windows have protective metal grills. A segmental-headed double doorway is located slightly off-centre to the front elevation. It has brick dressings, as previous, and contains replacement panelled timber double doors. There is a single-storey projecting roof canopy over the doorway, supported on painted wrought iron rounded columns with decorative angle brackets. There are painted timber fascia and soffits with carved timber brackets to eaves, and a simple carved timber barge board.

The front South elevation of adjoining two-storey former stationmasters’ house contains segmental-headed windows with brick dressings as previous. There is a central two-storey open porch located to the inner corner of the L-shape plan. This contains a segmental-headed door to the West elevation, with painted timber panelled door and overlight.

The gable-ended Western elevation contains a single round-headed window with dressings as previous.

The rear North elevation has segmental-headed windows as previous, with a double-gabled roof incorporating decorative roof trimmings. The original timber platform canopy adjoins the rear of the building and is open to the left of the platform. The right of the platform is enclosed by a lightweight timber structure, c. 2000. The original openings of the building behind are now enclosed by this addition.

All gable-ended elevations have overhanging eaves to the roof, with decorative timber brackets set on paired timber stops. There are decorative timber bargeboards, tie-beams, and vertical struts to gables. A central timber finial surmounts the apex of all gable-ended roofs. There are two simple brick chimneys to the single-storey building, and two tall brick chimneys to the stationmasters’ house.

The roof is pitched and covered with natural slate. Rain water goods are uPVC. The walls are faced with red / brown clay brick with yellow / straw clay brick dressings; walls are set on a projecting stone plinth.

Platform:
There are two platforms to rear of building, north and south; replacement train tracks have been added. The platform canopy is supported by a central colonnade of painted decorative circular wrought-iron columns. They contain large decorative iron brackets, which are fixed to a horizontal beam structure at ceiling level. There are flat riveted plate brackets and straps fixed to alternate beam junctions. The underside of the ceiling has painted timber panelling. The canopy has a flat roof, with a face-fixed timber hanging picket to fascia. There are flagstones to platform level.
The platform to North is supported off a medium-rise random rubble wall with high brick pillars and cast-iron railings.
The platform to South has been altered with the addition of a return, c. 2000.

Returns:
The original South timber platform is enclosed by a rendered lightweight timber structure to the right, at the rear of the single-storey building. It contains a series of single-light windows and double exit doors. It is set onto an external patio of the former platform.

The single-storey return to the rear of the stationmasters’ house contains a mixture of square-headed openings with timber casement windows. Access into the rear yard is via a square headed timber doorway leading to a single-storey prefab room within.

Setting:
The former terminus is set back from Molesworth Street. The entrance has brick pillars with concrete pyramidal caps providing access to a short driveway. There is a low-rise brick wall to street boundary with painted cast-iron railings and matching brick pillars at regular intervals. Boundary walls are recent.

An open single-storey hipped roof canopy is located to central landscaped terrace to front of building. It is set on stepped flagstones. The roof is supported on two painted circular columns with decorative painted wrought-iron bracketry. There is decorative timber hung picketing to fascia. A wind vane located to top of roof is supported on a timber clad rectangular chimney-like top, with a pyramidal roof and timber picketed fascia. There is fibre cement slate to the roof canopy.

To the East of the entrance there is a distinctive a wrought-iron arched gateway, set on replacement tall rock-faced artifical stone pillars and a boundary wall with cut stone capping. The double riveted iron archway over contains painted lettering depicting ‘GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY’.

Historical information

Station and stationmaster’s house
This former station / stationmaster’s house was built to serve the Great Northern Railway (GNR) line between Cookstown and Dungannon. The line was built between 1874 and 1879, with much of the work carried out after 1876. The station, whose picturesque cottage appearance is similar to that built at Stewartstown, was designed by the GNR’s Chief Civil Engineer, W.H. Mills. The line opened in July 1879. The station and the attendant station buildings are shown are recorded in the valuation of 1916 as consisting of the ‘Passenger station house, platform roofs and sheds, store and weigh house’.

The GNR was nationalised in 1953, becoming the Great Northern Railway Board (GNRB) and its network gradually curtailed. The Cookstown-Dungannon line was closed to passengers in January 1956 and ceased operations completely in January 1959.

An Annie M. McKay is recorded as occupant of the former station house from 1956 with the GNRB the immediate lessor. The lease was acquired by Cookstown Urban District Council in 1962, and an A D. McKay is recorded as the occupant from 1965, remaining there until at least 1972.

The date of the gateway is uncertain….

The station closed to passengers in January 1956 and ceased operations completely in January 1959. The lease of all or most of the site was acquired by Cookstown Urban District Council in the late 1960s…

References- Primary sources
1 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.]
2 PRONI VAL/2D/6/3/1-2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1859-82 [2 sheets]
3 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5A Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1860-63
4 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5B Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1864-68
5 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5C Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1868-81
6 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5D Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1881
7 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5E Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1881
8 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5F Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1882-90
9 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5G Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1882-88
10 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.]
11 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5H Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1895-99
12 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5K Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1889-99
13 PRONI VAL/12E/171/1/1-2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1892-97 [2 sheets]
14 PRONI OS/33/1/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
15 PRONI OS/9/10/2/1-2 OS plan of Cookstown, index map, 1895 [2 sheets]
16 PRONI OS/9/10/3/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
17 PRONI VAL/12E/171/2/1-3 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1897-1910 [3 sheets]
18 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7A Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1901-07
19 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7B Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1909-15
20 PRONI OS/33/2/1-4 OS plan, 1909 & 1918 [4 sheets]
21 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7C Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1916-29
22 PRONI VAL/3G/142/1 /1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1936-37 [4 sheets]
23 PRONI VAL/3C/7/8 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban, 1936-57
24 PRONI VAL/3G/142/2/1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1937-51
25 PRONI VAL/4B/6/10 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.1, 1956-72
26 PRONI VAL/4B/6/11 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.2E, 1956-72

Secondary sources
1 McCutcheon, W.A., 'The industrial archaeology of Northern Ireland' (Belfast, HMSO, 1980), p.164
2 Johnson, Stephen, ‘Johnson’s atlas & gazetteer of the railways of Ireland’, (Midland Publishing Ltd., 1997), p.99

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

This is a well preserved former station that is an important surviving part of the extensive Victorian Irish rail network. The small town of Cookstown is unusual in that it was initially served by two separate railway companies, the stations of which stiill remain and are listed..

The style of the building is typical of railway structures of the period. It is similar to the station in Stewartstown.

It is well composed and detailed and in quite original condition. This building has group value with adjoining railway buildings.