McFarland Arnold & Co. Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached asymmetrical three-bay three-storey rendered former constabulary barracks, built c.1860, remodelled 1905 as a post office, remodelled c.2000 as an office, located on the north side of Main Street. Rectangular on plan, facing south.

Roof is pitched fibre cement slate; blue/black angled ridge tiles, polychrome brick chimneystack to west gable (shared with adjoining building), rendered chimneystacks to east gable, both with replacement terracotta chimneypots, half-round painted cast-iron gutters. Walling is painted smooth rendered. Windows are square-headed painted timber 1/1 sashes, painted rendered sills.

Principal (south) elevation is asymmetrical, right end has rendered quoins; ground floor windows have mild steel sill-guard rails; central square-headed painted timber four-panelled door, glazed above lock-rail with plate glass overlight; modern sign fascia over entire ground floor. First and second floor have two windows, right bay extended with single window to each floor, second floor windows are segmental arch-headed.

West elevation is entirely abutted by 6 Main Street (HB11/04/024).

Rear (north) elevation is abutted by extension. Exposed section has roughcast walling, variety of replacement square-headed uPVC casements, ground floor has metal window grille. Extension detailed as rear elevation.

East gable is blank.

The house is situated on Main Street in the town centre with former National School (HB10/04/008) to west and St. Eugene’s Church of Ireland Church (HB10/04/003) to southwest.

Roof: Pitched artificial slate roof, blue/black angled ridge tiles
Walling: Painted smooth render
Windows: Square-headed painted timber 1/1 sashes, painted rendered sills.
RWG: Half-round painted cast-iron gutters

Historical information

A construction date is difficult to establish for this building, due to significant remodelling over the years but its appearance is consistent with a date of c.1860. Several improvements of the building appear to have taken place between the 1860s and 1900s leading to associated rises in value.

There are buildings shown on the site from the time of the 1833 OS Map. Unfortunately the earliest town plan, which dates from 1828-40, has not survived, and the building is not, therefore, identifiable in the Townland Valuation. It is possible that a house owned by Humphrey White and described as house, shop and offices valued at £11 6s corresponds to the present building.

The first clear mention of the building is in Griffith’s Valuation and on the associated Town Plan (1856-64) which gives dimensions as follows: House 30x24.6x19, addition 10x14x7 and two offices, valued in total at £10 0s 8d. The building is shown on the town plan as a rectangle with a rectangular return. It is described as a police barrack occupied by the constabulary and leased from Humphrey White.

Annual revision records note that the barrack is ‘being improved’ in 1862 and the value is raised to £13 10s. In 1891 it is no longer being used as a police barrack. A town plan of 1898 captions the building ‘White House’, presumably because of its association with the White family and shows the Post Office as occupying the adjacent building. In 1905 it is described as a post office, house and yard valued at £15 10s and 10s for the yard.

The asymetrical structure has been substantially remodelled making construction dates and previous uses difficult to ascertain visually.

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
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

An attached asymmetrical three-bay three-storey rendered former constabulary barracks, built c.1860, remodelled 1905 as a post office, remodelled c.2000 as an office, located on the north side of Main Street. The building retains its Victorian style and the front elevation displays good proportions. Despite modernisation and loss of some of the original interior layout and detailing, the building has group value as part of a terrace of three units on Main Street(HB10/04/23-25), set adjacent to the former National School (HB10/04/008) and St. Eugene’s Church of Ireland Church (HB10/04/003) and in a prominent location within Newtownstewart Conservation Area.