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

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a three-storey terrace house and pub, built c.1840. It is roughly rectangular in plan with a three-storey pitched roof return to the rear. There is a further two-storey pitched extension, and an additional single-storey flat-roofed extension to the rear. The two-storey extension has a coach arch to the ground floor leading to a further series of two-storey rendered out-buildings. 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 aluminum.

The front East elevation faces directly onto the street. There is a replacement pub front to the right (South) of the ground floor and an integral coach arch to the left (North). The pubfront has a square-headed double doorway with a glazed overlight to the right, and a matching double door to the left. There is a central square-headed single-light window set on a concrete sill in between. There are painted metal grills to the window. The pubfront is surmounted by a projecting timber signboard with raised lettering.
The first floor has square-headed replacement timber casement windows. All windows are set on painted cut-stone sills with classical proportions reducing to upper levels. Windows are recessed into elliptical-headed vertical bays. There is projecting carved stone cornicing at springer level of the Regency -style elliptical-headed arch. There are further modern vertical uPVC signage attachments to the upper levels.

Return:
The three-storey return is rendered and has an arrangement of timber and replacement uPVC casement and sliding sash windows. There is a metal fire escape stair to the first floor.
The two-storey pitched roof extension has a mixture of replacement uPVC windows with protective metal grilles.
The single-storey flat roofed extension has a similar arrangement of window openings. There are square-headed timbers door to the extensions.

Setting:
The house and pub 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 purposed 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 grocer, James Devlin, with Thomas Black the immediate lessor, and the building rated at £31. In 1885 this rateable value rises to £39, suggesting an addition to rear of the building. In 1892 the lease was acquired by a Francis P. Devlin, who also appears to have occupied the building. Mr. Devlin’s business is listed in early 1900s directories as ‘James Devlin & Sons, grocers, wholesale and retail spirit dealers, and agricultural seed merchants’, so it is likely that the property contained licensed premises at that time.

In 1944 a Thomas A. Quinn is recorded as the tenant, with a Harry Quinn noted as both tenant and freeholder in 1969.

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 (HB09/14/014A&B 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.

General comments

In the first survey, this building was part of the record numbered HB09/14/014