15 Main Street,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Street-fronted semi-detached three-bay three-storey rendered former townhouse, built c.1850, facing northwest with a two-storey lean-to extension to the rear. Part of pair of townhouses; other townhouse is sited on corner and is occupied by bank (HB10/04/004A).

Hipped natural slate roof, gabled to rear, roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles with lead ridge to outer corner. Pair of large rendered chimneystacks, cement coping and clay pots. Ogee moulded cast-iron guttering to boxed timber eaves and cast-iron downpipes. Plastic rainwater goods to rear.

Flint-dash rendered walling with smooth render plinth course to front elevation only and painted rusticated render quoins to east corner. Pebbledash rendered to side and rear elevations

Square-headed window openings with painted stone sills and uPVC windows. Some timber sash windows with margin lights to the rear elevation.

Three-storey front elevation is three bays wide with an off-centre segmental-headed door opening having moulded render archivolt resting on pair of impost mouldings to pair of plain stop-chamfered rendered pilasters. Pair of replacement Greek Doric uPVC columns supporting lintel cornice with semi-circular fanlight and uPVC door opening onto the street.

Plain rendered side southeast elevation to a rear access laneway.

Three-storey rear elevation has a pair of gables with a central shallow lean-to extension. Square-headed window openings with painted stone sills having uPVC windows to left and original timber sash windows to right with coloured margin lights.

To the side elevation is a short cement paved laneway giving access to the rear of No.15 & No.13. A render over rubble stone multi-bay two-storey L-plan outbuilding encloses the rear plot to the south and has a pitched natural slate roof and several square-headed door and window openings, a voussoired carriage-arch and two flights of concrete steps to the upper floor.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Flint-dash render
Windows UPVC/ timber sash
Rainwater goods Cast-iron

Historical information

The building forms part of a pair with the neighbouring Northern Bank (10/04/004A) and can be dated stylistically to c.1850. It was extensively refurbished c.1870 as is evidenced by late Victorian plasterwork, fireplaces and timber sash windows with margin lights to the rear elevation.

There are buildings shown on the site of the present building from the time of the 1833 OS Map. Unfortunately the earliest town plan, which dates from 1828-40, has not survived, and the site is not, therefore, identifiable in the Townland Valuation. The first clear mention of the building is in Griffith’s Valuation and on the associated Town Plan of 1856-64 where the following dimensions are given: house (31.6x24x14.6), addition (12.6x7x6), addition (5x11x6.6) and four offices (one of which is described as a turf shed). The property is owned by William McCloy in fee simple and valued at £8 0s 7d.

In Annual Revisions of 1860 the value is increased to £11 and in 1879 to £20 with the marginal note ‘improved’. In 1919 the house as a whole is leased by Hugh McBride from Mrs Smith. He in turn leases his front room, ground floor to the ‘Board of Works’ as a ‘Customs and Excise Office’. In 1928 the lessor is Miss Annie Smyth and the house is being occupied by the Royal Ulster Constabulary for use as a ‘Constabulary Barracks, office and yard’ valued at £22.

For many years, the building was known as ‘Setton House’. According to the owner, the name ‘Setton’ derived from a successful race-horse owned by the builder of this house and the adjacent bank (10/04/004A). A win by the horse allowed him to build the two houses as an investment.

References:

Primary Sources:

1. PRONI OS/6/6/17/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/17/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/17/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. PRONI VAL/1A/6/17 – Townland Valuation Map
5. PRONI VAL/1B/637A-F – Townland Valuation Records (1828-1840)
6. PRONI VAL/2/D/6/10 – Griffith’s Valuation Town Plan (1849-1869)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/40B – Griffith’s Valuation Records (1858)
8. PRONI VAL/12/E/160/1 – Annual Revision Records Town Plan (1898)
9. PRONI VAL/12/E/160/2 – Annual Revision Records Town Plan (1908)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/42/27A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)

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
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Originally a large townhouse, this prominent house retains its nineteenth-century elegant proportions and has group value with the adjoining townhouse on the corner, now a bank (HB10/04/004A). Together they are two of the most important buildings on the main street of Newtownstewart. This house has retained many of its original internal features.

General comments

This record has been split now recorded as No. 15 HB10/04/004 B, No. 17 Northern Bank is HB10/04/004 A.