Former Newtownstewart County Primary School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A multi-bay single-storey stone former schoolhouse, dated 1860, located on the north side of Main Street. T-plan, aligned east-west with return to north.

Pitched replacement natural slate roof, angled blue/black clay ridge tiles, dressed stone chimneystack with decorated corniced chimneycap; painted timber bargeboards, replacement ogee-profiled cast iron gutters, modern patent roof lights to south pitch. Walling is snecked dressed stone over splayed plinth. Windows are square-headed powder coated metal casements, flush sandstone surrounds, sills. Doors are square-headed painted timber raised-and-fielded six-panelled.

The principal (north) elevation is abutted by return to centre. Exposed section has three windows at right and two windows at left; door to right end.

Return (north) gable is blank, left cheek (east) is six windows wide, right cheek (west) is five windows wide with a door to left end.

East gable has three round-headed windows (removed at time of survey), flush stone surrounds, continuous sills (centre window is heightened), segmental arch-headed date plaque inscribed “NEWTOWNSTEWART / MINOR MODEL / NATIONAL SCHOOL / 1860.”

Rear (south) elevation has stone chimneybreast to left and buttress to right with two shortened clearstorey windows to each end, centre has five windows (all windows boarded at time of survey).

West gable is blank.

The former schoolhouse is situated on an elevated site near the junction of Main Street and Dublin Road, located between the terrace 4 Main Street (HB10/04/025) to north and St. Eugene’s Church of Ireland Church (HB10/04/003) to south of which the churchyard boundary wall is elevated parallel to the schoolhouse south elevation. North boundary wall consists of stone rubble wall with painted decorative cast iron railings. Lawned grounds to east are enclosed by modern galvanised railings, modern two-storey gabled public toilet to streetfront.

Roof: Pitched replacement natural slate roof, angled blue/black clay ridge tiles
Walling: Snecked dressed stone over splayed plinth
Windows: Square-headed powder coated metal windows, flush sandstone surrounds, sills
RWG: Replacement ogee-profiled cast iron gutters

Historical information

The school first appears on the 1905 OS Map captioned ‘School’ and is T-shaped in plan.

In 1862 a ‘Model School and garden’ is entered in the Revisions fieldbook. The occupiers are the Commissioners of Education and the property is leased from the Representatives of Daniel Baird. It is valued at £12 and £1 for the garden.

Ferguson comments that “In 1860, the Ardstraw Parish Rector, Rev. Dr. James McIvor (d.1886) used his very considerable influence to have a Minor Model School established beside the Church in Newtownstewart. It opened its doors on 1st July, 1861 and attracted pupils from a wide area. Form the outset this new school was an outstanding success and lived up to its title of being, indeed, a ‘model school.’ Each year, in the month of July, the school was opened to the ‘Friends of Education’ in the locality on the occasion of the annual examination of its pupils. The Tyrone Constitution, dated 3rd July, 1874 records upwards of 200 people attending this ‘high gala day of great importance….’ The principal teachers of the Model School are believed to have been as follows: William Mitchell, T. Faulkner, Andrew McAfee, Robert McIlwaine, William Frame, Noel Adrian, Samuel Moore…. The school was finally closed and became a library in 1975. Newtownstewart New Model Controlled Primary School now caters for the Ardstraw Parish children, in a fine new building on the Baronscourt Road” (Ferguson, etc., p.62).

The building has recently been refurbishment for continued use as a library. A small extension on the south elevation, visible on town plans of 1898 and 1908 is no longer present. A porch on the north western elevation which is visible on the ordnance survey map of 1974-5 has also been removed.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/17/1 – Ordnance Survey Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/6/17/2 – Ordnance Survey Map 1854
3. PRONI OS/6/6/17/3 – Ordnance Survey 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)

Secondary Sources

1. Ferguson, George Eric, June Cochrane, John Dunbar, Joan Ferguson, Victor Laughlin, Lily Loughlin, Carol McKelvey, eds. “The Changing Years in the Grouped Parishes of Ardstraw, Baronscourt and Badoney Union. Omagh, Co. Tyrone: Graham Printers, 2001.
2. Gebbie, John Hewitt. “Ardstraw Parish Church, Newtownstewart: Year Book and Blotter, 1946.” Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone: Self-published, 1946.
3. Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate, Market, and Post Towns, Parishes, and Villages, With Historical and Statistical Descriptions; Embellished with Engravings of the Arms of the Cities, Bishopricks, Corporate Towns, and Boroughs; Of the Seals of the Several Municipal Corporations.” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837.)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A multi-bay single-storey stone former schoolhouse, dated 1860, located on the north side of Main Street. Despite modernisation and the loss of original windows and interior, this Victorian schoolhouse exhibits good proportions, fine masonry craftsmanship and ornate cast-iron railings. As a former schoolhouse still used by the community as a library, the structure has social importance and is of local interest.