7 Townhall Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached three-bay two-storey rendered former town hall, dated 1880, located on the east side of Townhall Street. Rectangular on plan, facing west.

Hipped artificial slate roof, red clay roll-top ridge tiles, angled blue/black hip tiles, polychromatic brick chimneystacks, remains of half-round metal gutters. Walling is painted block-mark rendered over plinth, stringcourse at ground floor lintel-level and first floor sillcourse with panel between. Windows are round-headed painted timber sashes.

Principal (west) elevation is symmetrical and gable fronted. Ground floor has square-headed full-height uPVC casement windows flanked to either side by shoulder-headed raised-and-fielded six-panelled door with plate-glass overlight. First floor gable has moulded cornice supported at ends on pilasters flanking tripartite 2/2 sash window (with flanking diminished 1/1 sashes) with continuous hoodmould sprung from pilasters, moulded sills and panelled aprons (that to centre embossed TOWNHALL, with the ‘A’ missing). Apex has roundel date plaque embossed: “Erected by B Gillespie 1880.”

North elevation is abutted by adjoining building; exposed section right end is detailed as principal elevation, left end is pebbledashed with a single square-headed 1/1 sash window to each floor.

East elevation is pebbledashed with a variety of square-headed and slightly segmental arch-headed windows (all missing or boarded), single square-headed replacement timber door with missing overlight to left end.

South elevation is abutted by adjoining building; exposed section is detailed as north elevation.

The former town hall is situated on Townhall Street with a paved rear court.

Roof: Hipped artificial slate roof, red clay roll-top ridge tiles, angled blue/black hip tiles
Walling: Painted block-mark rendered over plinth
Windows: Round-headed painted timber sashes
RWG: Remains of half-round metal gutters

Historical information

The building carries a datestone of 1880.

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, therefore, not identifiable with certainty in the Townland Valuation. It is possible, however, that a building on the site is one that was occupied by Jones Crawford Esq and valued at £28. (Pigot and Co’s Provincial Directory of 1824 lists Major Jones Crawford under ‘Nobility, Gentry and Clergy’ of Newtownstewart, p.414)

Griffith’s valuation lists the large plot as a public house and offices, valued at £24 13s 1d and notes that it was a former ‘gentleman’s private residence’. The occupier is Patrick McGlenahan who leases it from Daniel Baird.

Revisions lift the value of the plot to £18. In 1877 the plot is split into two and the public house to the east becomes separately listed. The buildings are now valued at £9 and occupied by the Representatives of Daniel Baird in fee.

Between 1879 and 1880 the plot was redeveloped and divided into three separate buildings, numbered 1b, 1c and 1d (corresponding to 5, 7 and 9, respectively)

Number 1c is valued at £12 5s and 5s for the garden in 1881. In 1891 it is leased in two parts from Maturin Baird. The house, underpart, shop and garden are leased to Bernard Gillespie and the remainder of the building is in use as a Petty Sessions Court at a value of £6. This building is dated 1880. The datestone indicates that it was ‘erected by B Gillespie’ as a ‘Town Hall’ and it is thus captioned on the Annual Revisions Town Plans of 1898 and 1908.

In “Newtownstewart Remembered” a photograph of c.1900 shows the Town Hall with the name “B Gillespie Ironmonger” just above the door. (p.122)

In 1934 valuers divide the Town Hall building into three. There is a house at the rear which is valued at £9.10s, later reduced to £4.15s. The ground floor is occupied by the Bank of Ireland and leased from Michael Gallagher. It is valued at £6 and a note states that it is only open on Fair and Market days. The Hall on the first floor is occupied by Michael Gallagher in fee and the valuer notes, “Hall used once a month by Court of Petty Sessions. Hall also used for concerts and dances (about 6 nights a year…) and for dramatic performances (2 a year…) Oil lamps supplied by landlord when hall is hired for concerts or dances.” Measurements are given and the hall is valued at £6 and later raised to £8.5s.

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)
11.PRONI VAL/3/D/7/107/2 – Valuers RV Binders (1933-57)

Secondary Sources

1.Dunbar, Billy. “Newtownstewart Remembered” Omagh, Strule Press, 1987
2.Pigot and Co’s Provincial Directory 1824

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An attached three-bay two-storey rendered former town hall, dated 1880, located on the east side of Townhall Street. This former townhall is flanked by two similar structures (9 Townhall Street, HB10/04/045C, and 5 Townhall Street, HB10/04/045A), which were contemporaneously built and share various design features. Despite the loss of original external features and the loss of its interior, the building retains its fine style, proportion and ornamentation. The three buildings form a distinct group within Newtownstewart, situated in a prominent position, adjacent to Newtownstewart Castle at the foot of Main Street.

General comments

This record was previously part of HB10/04/045 along with Nos 5 & 9 Townhall Street.