9 Loy Street, Cokstown, Co Tyrone, BT80 8PZ

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is an terraced three-storey rendered house, built c.1870. The building is rectangular in plan. There is a three-storey return and a further attached two-storey return to the rear. There are several single-storey outbuildings to the rear. The building is part of three matching terraced buildings (HB09/14/007), located within a long row of mixed terrace buildings along Loy Street.

Walling is rendered masonry. The roof is pitched and slated, having a brick chimney with profiled capping to the South. External walls are painted render. There is a carved dentilled course to the eaves.

The front (West) elevation is set back from the street, with a small garden to the front. It has a square-headed doorway to the right, and a two-storey canted bay to the left. The doorway is set within an elliptical-headed surround. It has a replacement glazed and panelled timber door and an overlight. The canted bay contains 1/1 timber sliding sash windows. Each floor is surmounted by a projecting carved stone cornice. The windows to the first floor are square-headed 2/2 timber sliding sash windows. The second floor has 2/1 sliding sash windows, as previous. All windows have cut-stone sills. There are carved stone sills to the canted bay. Classical proportions reduce to upper levels.

The side (North) elevation is gable-ended. There is a polychromatic brick chimney to the apex of the gable. There is a low rendered wall to the left with painted railings.

The rear elevation has an assortment of 6/6 and 3/6 timber sliding sash windows.

Returns:
The three-storey return has an assortment of 6/6 and 1/1 timber sash frames.
The two-storey return has 1/1 timber sash frames. Roofs are artificial slate.

Setting:
The building is set within a mixed terrace, to the western side of Loy Street at the southern edge of the commercial centre of Cookstown. It is set back from the pavement to provide a small garden. The mixed terrace comprises mainly of two and three-storey Victorian buildings ranging in age from early to late nineteenth century.

Historical information

The site of this house and its two matching neighbours to the north is shown developed on the OS map of 1833-34. The valuation of 1835 records that there were two old thatched dwellings occupying the plot at that point, that to the south in the hands of a Mrs Story, that to the north a slightly larger building in possession of a David McCleland. By 1859 a William Bell was leasing the southern house from the Gunning-Moore estate, with an Elizabeth Ballantine leasing the neighbouring property.

The present uniform terrace of three dwellings was built in 1870 by John Ballantine, with the lease of all three acquired by a Richard Cluff in c.1872. This particular property appears to have remained vacant for some years after its completion, the first occupant, one Allen Millar, only recorded in 1876. Ellen Millar is listed as the tenant in 1880, remaining there until some time 1894 when she was succeeded by a Jane Newton; at the same time the lease of the whole terrace passed to a Mary O’Neill, remaining with her until 1912 when it was taken over by a Richard Charles. A Henry A. Glasgow followed Jane Newton in 1898, and in turn was followed by leaseholder Richard Charles in 1913. A David H. Charles was next in 1915, later becoming the leaseholder, and (in a seeming reversal!) renting the property to Richard Charles. The lease was acquired by Dr. T.A. MacLynn in 1949, who is noted as both leaseholder and occupant 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
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is an end of terrace three-storey rendered house, built c.1870. It is a well-proportioned example of a mid-Victorian terrace. Larger in scale than any of the modest surrounding two-storey houses, it has a prominent appearance. The building survives in an unaltered condition and is significant in this part of the town as an example of the larger Victorian properties that began to appear as Cookstown rose in stature as a commercial centre. When viewed with the adjacent matching terraced buildings (HB09/14/007A&B ), it has group value and character.

General comments

This record was originally part of record number HB09/14/007.