38 Station Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached multi-bay two-storey with attic rendered house, built c.1765. Rectangular on plan, facing west on the north side of Station Road, with lean-to to north gable, gable-fronted front entrance porch and front and rear avenues to the south with rear yard and range of single-storey outbuildings. South gable formerly abutted by linear range of single-storey outbuildings, of which only the west wall remains standing.

Pitched natural slate roof, of undulating profile with clay ridge tiles and four symmetrically-placed rendered chimneystacks. Plastic rainwater goods on iron drive-through brackets to stepped eaves course. Generally square-headed window openings with timber sash windows, cylinder glass and painted stone sills.

Six-bay two-storey front elevation with gabled entrance porch and the two north bays recessed and deep overhanging eaves to the north end. Painted ruled-and-lined cement rendered walling. 3/3 timber sash windows to first floor, 6/6 to ground floor. The recessed two bays have 2/2 timber sash windows to the first floor with exposed sash boxes. Fibre cement slate roof to entrance porch with black clay ridge tiles, timber bargeboard, plastic rainwater goods, ruled-and-lined rendered walls, 6/6 timber sash window to front and left cheek with square-headed door opening to the right cheek with vertically-sheeted timber plank door opening onto stone step.

North side gable abutted by lean-to having corrugated iron roof, rubblestone walls, six-pane timber window and pair of vertically-sheeted doors. Pair of small boarded-up square-headed window openings to the attic storey with exposed brickwork to the chimneystack.

Six-bay two-storey rear elevation with lime-wash over rubblestone walling. Square-headed window openings with concrete sills and 2/2 timber sash windows to the first floor, no sills to the ground floor. To the north two bays, the windows correspond to those to the front elevation with a door opening below. To the centre is a round-headed window opening to the first floor staircase with fanlight incorporated into the upper sash and rear entrance below having vertically-sheeted timber door. Adjacent to the door opening is a landscape window opening with a pair of 2/2 timber sash windows, ogee horns and central sash box. A further 6/6 timber sash window with ogee horns and a boarded up opening to the southern bay.

South side gable is painted cement rendered with a single window opening to the first floor having timber casement window. This elevation was formerly abutted by a linear range of single-storey rubblestone ancillary structures, recently demolished except for west elevation wall.

The front area is finished in gravel continuing southward as an avenue through mature gardens, opening onto the road through a timber gate on timber post dating from the early twentieth century. The rear entrance opens onto a concrete paved yard with a range of single and two-storey rubblestone outbuildings to the northeast with pitched natural slate roofs and timber sheeted doors. The yard continues southward past a modern sheeted steel farm building before opening onto the road.

Roof Natural slate
Rainwater goods uPVC
Windows Timber sash
Walling Cement render / Lime render

Historical information

The house is shown on a 1777 map of the Abercorn estate, as part of a group of buildings, one of which appears to be a mill. The buildings and land are shown to be occupied by ‘Andrew Hogstan’. Correspondence between James Hamilton and the Earl of Abercorn from this time mentions ‘Hogston’ as the occupier of ‘Bellamagorry’ [Ballymagorry] mill. Although the mill is actually in Milltown townland, it is close to the border with Ballymagorry and appears to be the mill referred to. On 15th April 1770 James Hamilton writes, “Hogston, who has Bellamagorry Mill says Tillyard and other freeholds paid him the 16th grain…Hogston begged I should not set up notices of accepting the one and twentieth grain till I wrote your Lordship of his having received the 16th.” Later correspondence writes of Hogston losing more than 2 acres due to river encroachment and asks that Abercorn pay for the river to be secured to prevent the loss of the mill race.

The house is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1833, together with an ‘old mill’ to the east and a ‘corn mill’ to the north. It changes somewhat in plan over the course of subsequent editions, gaining a porch to the west elevation by the third edition of 1905.

In the Townland Valuation (1828-40) and on the associated map, the house appears to belong to the same plot as the mill to the north. The associated fieldbook lists a ‘corn mill and two millers houses’ with dimensions. They are valued at £3.14s and occupied by Thomas Barnhill. Griffith’s Valuation of 1858 appears to show the mills and house as two separate plots and in all subsequent valuation records they remain separate. The occupier of the house is listed as William Donnell and the lessor as the Marquis of Abercorn. The buildings are valued at £6. The house remains in the Donnell family until 1886 when it is occupied by Jane Moore. Then in 1902 it passes to Joseph McCarter who, in 1910, becomes the owner in fee under land purchase legislation of the early twentieth century.

In 1933 Alex Coulter is the owner and the house is now valued at £11 with £2 for outbuildings. It comprises a kitchen, p[antry?], two rooms, five bedrooms and a small room. The valuer comments that the interior is ‘rough’ and that it has a ‘close range but no mod. con.’ A plan and dimensions are given for the house and a series of outbuildings to the west and east. These are largely of rubble masonry and slate with some wooden outbuildings roofed with corrugated iron or wood.

Acording to the present owner the bay to the left of the entrance porch was added at a later date to provide additional accommodation for mill workers. This would explain the deeper Victorian windows to the first floor, smaller chimney at this end and the thinner wall to the side of the porch. He also said that the white timber entrance gate was constructed by a previous owner c1910, and that the now demolished corn mill was 4 storeys high and was powered latterly by an electrical turbine.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI D623/A/39/28 – Letter from James Hamilton to Earl of Abercorn (15 April 1770)
2. PRONI D623/D/1/16/30 – Map of the townlands of Milltown, Artagarvan, Mack-Crackens and Boyd’s Hill, Abercorn papers (1777)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/5/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/5/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1854)
5. PRONI OS/6/6/5/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905)
6. PRONI OS/6/6/5/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1951)
7. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/5 – Townland Valuation Map
8. PRONI VAL/1/B/640 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
9. PRONI Printed Griffith’s Valuation, Union of Strabane (1858)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/42/5A-G – Annual Revision Records (1860-1931)
11. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/10D/2 – First NI General Revaluation: Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This medium sized mid eighteenth century house on the north side of Station Road has two distinct elevations, the front is relatively uniform with ruled-and-lined render and an organised arrangement of timber sash windows. The rear elevation with its lime-washed walls, irregular window arrangement and undulating slated roof expresses a vernacular appearance of the late eighteenth or early nineteenth-century. While research has indicated a formerly semi-detached arrangement, the current appearance would suggest that this has been a single dwelling for at least a century, though its size and number of chimneys would happily support this claim. The farmyard setting, landscaped front garden and an intact interior together make up an impressively preserved rural eighteenth century house. Houses of this period are increasing rare .