Social Security Office

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a detached rustic-brick single-storey social security office, built c.1940 on the south side of the Fairhill Road. It has a hipped roof U-shaped block to the front, with a further two-storey flat-roofed rectangular block to the rear (South.) There is a single storey flat-roofed link block joining the front and rear. On the rear return, there is a single-storey flat-roofed entrance porch.

Front Block

Walls are brick with simple cut stone parapets to roofs. The roof is steeply hipped with red tiles. There are three hipped roof dormers to the attic storey at the central recess of the front elevation. There are two further dormers to the West elevation of the link building. There are cast-iron gutters, downpipes and hoppers.

The front (North) elevation is symmetrical and fronts onto a car-park. It is composed of a projecting bay to the left, a recessed single-storey bay to the centre and a projecting bay to the right. The projecting bays have square-headed replacement uPVC windows. There is a continuous cut-stone string course at window head level. All windows have splayed brick voussoirs and are set on cut-stone sills. The central bay has a square-headed doorway to the centre with a door recessed within. The double door is timber and glazed.

The side (East) elevation has three parts; the side elevation of the main hipped single-storey block to the left, the single-storey flat-roofed link building to the centre, and the side elevation of the two-storey flat-roofed block to the right. The main front block has square-headed replacement uPVC windows. There is a continuous cut-stone string course at window head level. All windows have splayed flat-arched brick voussoirs and are set on cut-stone sills.

The rear (South) elevation is hidden by the returns and additions.

The side (West) elevation has four elements: the side elevation of the main hipped single-storey block to the right, the single-storey flat-roofed link building to the centre, and the side elevation of the two-storey flat-roofed block to the left. There is a further side elevation of the single-storey flat-roofed addition to the rear. The main front block has square-headed replacement uPVC windows. There is a continuous cut-stone string course at window head level. All windows have splayed flat-arched brick voussoirs and are set on cut-stone sills.

The flat-roofed link building has an assortment of replacement uPVC windows.

Rear Block

Walls are of a different brick to the main front block.

The side (West) elevation of the rear two-storey flat-roofed return has an assortment of square-headed replacement uPVC windows to the ground and first floor. There is a metal fire escape stair leading from the ground to the first floor. There is a square-headed door to the first floor, with a two-light overlight.

The rear elevation has a regular assortment of square-headed timber casement windows. There is an open corrugated polycarbonate porch extension to the left providing access to a doorway. The door is timber and glazed with a rectangular overlight. There are parapets to the eaves with continuous metal guard rails supported off a continuous cut-stone cornice.

The side (East) elevation has an assortment of square-headed timber windows to the ground and first floor. The Northeastern corner of the return has a single-bay projecting storey.

The single-storey flat-roofed porch to the rear has one single square-headed door opening to the West elevation, with a plain timber door. There is a square-headed double door to the North of the porch. This has timber double doors and a rectangular overlight.

Setting:
The building is set back from the road behind a high metal fence. The front door is accessed via concrete steps with metal railings. There is tarmac to the rear yard.

Historical information

Designed by the NI Ministry of Finance Chief Architects Branch, this Employment Exchange was built in 1938-39 and first appears in the valuation book in 1940. It remains in use as a Social Security Office.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/3C/7/8 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban, 1936-57
2 PRONI VAL/3G/142/2/1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1937-51
3 PRONI VAL/4B/6/10 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.1, 1956-72
4 PRONI VAL/4B/6/11 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.2E, 1956-72

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

This is a detached rustic-brick single-storey social security office, built c.1940 on the south side of the Fairhill Road. This is a domestic-scaled example of an inter-war government building. It is well-proportioned and detailed with a pleasing symmetry and an unusual example of a smaller scale building in the genre of inter-war public buildings. The continuity of the public function it serves adds to its importance.