23 William Street, Cookstown, Co Tyrone, BT80 8AX

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a three-storey terrace house and shop, built c.1840. It is roughly rectangular in plan with a three-storey return to the rear. There is a further single-storey flat-roofed extension beyond to the rear West. The building forms part of an ten-bay matching terrace - 3/2/3/2 (HB09/14/014A, B & C & No 29)) on the West side of William Street within the commercial district of Cookstown.

Walling is rendered with raised plaster features. The roof is pitched and slated with a rendered chimney and profiled stepped capping. Rainwater goods are replacement aluminium.

The front East elevation faces directly onto the street. There is a replacement shopfront to the right (South) of the ground floor and an integral coach arch to the left (North). The replacement shopfront is uPVC and has a central square-headed double doorway. Two large single-light shop windows are located to each side of the central doorway. The shopfront is surmounted by a painted signboard with raised lettering. The coach arch is square-headed with a simple painted timber signboard over. The first floor has 1/1 timber sliding sash windows. All windows are set on painted cut-stone sills with classical proportions reducing to upper levels. Windows are recessed into Regency-style elliptical-headed vertical bays. There is projecting carved stone cornicing at springer level of the elliptical-headed arch.

Return:
The three-storey return is unpainted render. There is an assortment of square-headed timber casement windows to the side South elevation and the rear West elevation. All windows have protective metal grills and cut stone sills.
The single-storey extension has dry dash render. The rear yard was inaccessible, and openings were hidden from view. There is a flat roof to the extension.

Setting:
The house and shop is set on William Street. This comprises largely of two and three-storey Victorian buildings. The rear of the building is accessed via the integral coach arch. There is a wrought-iron gate to the rear elevation.

Historical information

The site of the present numbers 23, 25 and 27 William Street is shown developed on the OS map of 1833-34. The 1835 valuation tells us that the whole plot was then taken up by an old, large, mainly thatched inn in the possession of a Hugh Espey, measuring 45ft x 22 x 14½, with a return (probably to the gable) of 19½ x 16½ x 15, a ‘ballroom’ of 56 x 26 x 14, and outbuildings of 64 x 16½ x 13, 13 x 19 x 9, 40½ x 18½ x 9, 26½ x 15½ x 12, 15½ x 35 x 11 and 18 x 5½ x 10. The property was valued for rating purposes at the respectable sum of £19-7-4. By 1838 it was in the hands of Mrs. Espey and rated at £34. Sometime between 1838 and 1859 the old building was demolished and the present block erected. The Regency style appearance of the terrace, with its large recessed arches, suggests that it may date from closer to 1838 than 1859, perhaps c.1840.

This particular property (present no.23) is recorded in the 1859 valuation as occupied by a John Hunter, (listed under ‘linen and woollen drapers and haberdashers’ in Slater’s directory of 1856), with Thomas Black the immediate lessor, and the building rated at £32. In 1863 a Hugh and James MacMillan took over the lease of this and the two similarly-styled neighbouring properties to the south. This particular building was then let to a Bernard Mallon, (another ‘linen and woollen draper’) followed by a James Watson in 1873, Richard Charles 1883, Joseph Early 1889. In 1892 a John Baxter is noted as the tenant and the following year the lease was in the hands of a Hetty H. Shaw, passing to a Mrs. Staunton two years later.

By 1897, John Newell, a butcher, had become the tenant, followed by a William Newell, (who carried on the butchery trade), in 1911, and a John C. Shaw in 1938. Mr. Shaw acquired the lease in 1951, and appears to have merged the property with that to the north (no.21). By the early 1960s no.23 appears to have had a separate existence once again, as a post office, with some of its former outbuildings to the rear forming part no.21. The position appears to have remained the same up until 1972 at least.

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

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a three-storey terrace house and shop, built c.1840. this was a well-composed early Victorian Regency-style house and shop that, as part of a matching terrace of three (formerly four but No 29 has been altered beyond recognition), makes a significant contribution to the historic character and appearance of the town. Externally , the building is a good example of a mid 19th century matching terrace alongside the adjacent buildings (HB09/14/014B&C and No 29). The decorative arched openings enliven the character of the façade, and add to the surrounding Victorian character of the locale. However, a significant a number of alterations and the window replacements mean that the building does not merit listing as of special architectural or historic interest.