16 Molesworth Road, Cookstown, Co Tyrone, BT80 8NR

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a rendered semi-detached two-and-a-half storey house, built c.1897. The house was built along with the adjacent semi-detached house (HB09/13/033A). The house is roughly square in plan with a two-storey return to the rear. The house is set back from Molesworth Road within the North-eastern suburbs of Cookstown.

The front South elevation faces onto the road. It has a doorway to the left and a canted bay window to the right.

The doorway is set within a semi-circular headed recess. The door is four-panelled timber with a semi-circular headed overlight. The opening has a carved stone surround with a central carved fluted keystone over. There is a brass knocker, doorknob and letterbox to the door. The doorway projects slightly alongside the adjacent HB09/13/033A. Both doorways are surmounted by a projecting string course at keystone level and a projecting cornice over.

The canted bay has segmental headed windows with 1/1 timber sash frames. There are carved stone surrounds to openings with a central carved fluted keystone over each window.

There is a projecting carved stone stringcourse at sill level, and again at half-window level. There are further projecting carved stringcourses to the canted bay above window level.

The upper levels have segmental headed windows with 1/1 timber sash frames. They have window surrounds as previous. The window above the doorway has a decorative rendered apron beneath the window sill.

There is a dormer to the roof with a round-headed window. It has a 1/1 timber sash frame. The dormer has overhanging eaves with decorative timber bargeboards to the gable. A central timber finial surmounts the apex of the dormer.

The side East elevation is gable-ended. There are two round-headed windows to the second level with 1/1 timber sash windows. The windows are set on carved stone sills, and have window surrounds as previous. There are decorative aprons beneath window sills. The continuous string course continues around from the front elevation half-window level.
The rear North elevation has square-headed timber casement windows set on painted cut-stone sills.

The main roof is slated with carved stone eaves and cast-iron rainwater goods. The roof is overhanging to the gable-end. There are four timber brackets to the eaves and a decorative timber bargeboard. The roof has a rendered chimney to the right (East).

External walls are painted render with smooth stone quoins to the front elevation. There is a carved stone plinth to the base of the front elevation.

Return:
The two-storey return has an assortment of 2/2 timber sash windows on cut-stone sills. There is a square headed door with an overlight to the West elevation. External walls are ruled-and-lined render.

Setting:
The house is set back from the main Molesworth Road behind a low boundary wall with cast-iron railings. There is a small garden to the front with a gated path leading to the entrance door. The boundary wall has simple square pillars and pyramidal stone caps. The house has a tarmac access drive to the East leading to the yard to the rear North. The house is set to the North-eastern side of the town centre at the beginning of the mainly Victorian suburban Molesworth Road.

Historical information

This pair of semi-detached houses to which this property belongs was built in 1897, probably by a Stewart Devlin, who held this lease of their plot at that time. Each dwelling is recorded in the valuers’ office notebook, (which supplies details of newly-built or newly-extended structures liable for valuation), as built of ‘rubble masonry and brick, with a slate roof, and dimensions of 21½ft x 27 x 28, a return of 13½ x 24 x 22, and a bay of 8 x 3 x 12. The estimated cost of construction for each house is given as £443, and the rateable value, £18. In 1899 the properties are noted as occupied by a William Porter and an Isabel Chambers respectively, although it is difficult to tell who occupied which house. A James Ross succeeded Ms Chambers in 1903.

It is difficult to trace the history of the houses between 1909 and 1936. After 1909 this stretch of Molesworth Road became part of Cookstown Urban Electoral District, and the details of the buildings transferred to the valuation books dealing with that area; however the road is not listed in any of the books for this district. The properties only re-emerge in the General Revaluation book of c.1935-36, with no.16 was occupied by Henry N. Raphael in 1936, with an Edward Quinn the leaseholder. Mary E. Raphael is listed as the tenant in 1943, followed by Morris Corrigan in 1954. Thomas Quinn became the leaseholder in 1954, and a Brian Toner the occupant in 1959. This situation remained unchanged up until at least 1972.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5H Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1895-99
2 PRONI VAL/12B/37/5K Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1889-99
3 PRONI VAL/12E/171/1/1-2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1892-97 [2 sheets]
4 PRONI OS/33/1/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
5 PRONI OS/9/10/2/1-2 OS plan of Cookstown, index map, 1895 [2 sheets]
6 PRONI OS/9/10/3/1-5 OS plan of Cookstown, 1895 [5 sheets]
7 PRONI VAL/12A/6/11 Valuers’ office notebook, Cookstown Union, 1895-1900, p.59
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
17 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

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a well proportioned and detailed semi-detached house, designed in a picturesque late-Victorian style. When viewed together with the adjacent house HB09/13/033A, they create a balanced symmetrical appearance.

Combined with the nearby railway related structures of Molesworth Street, and the various houses in the area, this building adds much to the overall Victorian character and appearance of the area.