Central Bar

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a terraced three-storey house and late Victorian pub, in a building originally constructed in the early 18th century. It is roughly rectangular in plan with a three-storey pitched return to the rear. There is a further two-storey extension attached to the rear. The building is located to the East side of William Street within the commercial area of Cookstown.

External walls are painted render. The rear elevation is unpainted render. There is natural slate to the roof with a simple rendered chimney to the North. Rainwater goods are cast-iron.

The front (W) elevation fronts directly onto William Street. External walls are rendered. There is a traditional shopfront to the ground floor. It has a large single-light shop window to the left set on a rendered stall riser with a painted timber sill. There is a square-headed recessed double doorway to the right. The door is painted timber with an overlight. The inner porch double door is glazed and panelled timber. There are panelled pilasters to the shop front rising to support a painted fascia. A projecting carved timber cornice surmounts the shopfront.

The upper levels have 2/2 timber sliding sash windows set on painted cut-stone sills.

The rear elevation is obscured by the returns.

Returns:

The three-storey pitched return has square-headed windows to the rear East. Windows have 2/2 timber sliding sash frames. There is an assortment of timber windows to the North. There is slate to the roof and a rendered chimney to the apex of the rear (East) gable.

The rendered two-storey pitched return has an irregular assortment of square-headed timber sash windows. There is natural slate to roof with a central replacement brick chimney. Rainwater goods are cast-iron.

Setting:
The building fronts directly onto William Street. The street largely comprises a mixture of two-storey and three-storey Victorian buildings set within the commercial district of Cookstown.

Historical information

This site is shown developed on OS maps of 1833-34 and 1857. In the first valuation of 1835 the building (which appears to be that still standing today) is noted as a ‘not new’ structure, in the possession of a Doctor Young, with dimensions recorded as 18ft x 20½ x 35 for the main section, two returns of 12½ x 20 x 22½ and 14 x 20 x 14, and outbuildings of 27½ x 20 x 15 and 43 x 20 x 10, the latter thatched. The building was accorded the rateable value of £10-11-5, rising to £14 in the valuation revision of 1838.

By 1859 the house was in the hands of a Mary White, with a Robert Harkness the immediate lessor, and the building rated at £24. In 1862 a William [?] is recorded as the occupant, followed by a Joseph McAleer in 1863. In 1868, the property was subdivided and a Jane Newberry is noted as having use of one of the outbuildings (which remained a separate concern for some years to come). James E. Treanor became the occupant of the main portion of the building in 1874, with an Elizabeth McGivern succeeding him in 1884, James Malone 1885, and Anne Jane Malone in 1888. In the valuation revision book of 1889-99 the property is noted for the first time as a public house, however it may have been so for some years prior to this for both the aforementioned Joseph McAleer and James E. Treanor are recorded as publicans / ‘spirit and porter dealers’ of William Street in 1870s and 1880s directories.

In 1913, Thomas McGurk became the tenant, followed by Robert Turner in 1921, Jane Turner in c.1940, and Geraldine Turner (later Geraldine Green) in c.1955. Geraldine Green acquired the freehold in 1963, by which stage a Patricia McCann is recorded as the occupant. This situation appears to have remained the same up until at least 1972.

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 ‘Slater's Commercial Directory of Ireland’, (Manchester, 1870)
13 ‘Slater's Commercial Directory of Ireland’, (Manchester, 1880)
14 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5D Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1881
15 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5E Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1881
16 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5F Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1882-90
17 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5G Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1882-88
18 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.]
19 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5H Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1895-99
20 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5K Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1889-99
20 PRONI VAL/12E/171/1/1-2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1892-97 [2 sheets]
22 PRONI OS/33/1/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
22 PRONI OS/9/10/2/1-2 OS plan of Cookstown, index map, 1895 [2 sheets]
23 PRONI OS/9/10/3/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
24 PRONI VAL/12A/6/11 Valuers’ office notebook, Cookstown Union, 1895-1900
25 PRONI VAL/12E/171/2/1-3 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1897-1910 [3 sheets]
26 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7A Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1901-07
27 PRONI VAL/12A/6/16 Valuers’ office notebook, Cookstown UD, 1901-10
28 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster directory’ 1902- (Belfast News-Letter, 1902- )
29 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7B Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1909-15
30 PRONI OS/33/2/1-4 OS plan, 1909 & 1918 [4 sheets]
31 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7C Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1916-29
32 PRONI VAL/3G/142/1 /1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1936-37 [4 sheets]
33 PRONI VAL/3C/7/8 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban, 1936-57
34 PRONI VAL/3G/142/2/1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1937-51
35 PRONI VAL/4B/6/10 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.1, 1956-72
36 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
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

This is a terraced three-storey house and pub, in a building originally constructed in the early 18th century. This is a good example of a commercial building of an urban vernacular style that has developed into a middle-sized townhouse and late Victorian pub, refurbished in the 1930s but retaining the atmosphere of a small, local drinking establishment. As an intact example and a rare survival of a type of premises once common in county towns throughout the Province it contributes greatly to the individuality of Cookstown. It stands also as a record of the changing social circumstances of its owners and inhabitants, representing an important aspect of local history.