First Trust Bank,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A three-storey with attic classically-styled bank, four windows wide, built 1892 to designs by Robert Watt, and located to the north side of Main Street, Strabane. The building is rectangular on plan, with three storey gabled rear return, further extended by a two storey gabled return. Modern extensions to ground floor north, of no interest.

The roof is pitched natural slate, concealed to main elevation by a balustraded parapet over cornice. Parapet gutters, with uPVC downpipes. Ashlar chimneystacks with corniced cap. Walling is ashlar sandstone over a projecting plinth to principal elevation, brick to remainder. Windows are 1/1 timber sliding sash windows with horns over a moulded sill course to each floor.

South elevation has, at ground floor, three windows flanked by pilasters between door openings at either end. Four equally spaced windows to upper floors. Entrances are as follows: at left is the banking hall entrance, comprising a round-headed opening with moulded archivolt and keystone springing from moulded imposts. Two-stage rebated jambs are framed by pilasters supporting a plain entablature with applied bank signage to frieze. At right is a square-headed entrance to private quarters, now infilled and housing an ATM; it is framed by pilasters. Door is replacement four-panelled timber. Doors are accessed by three bull-nosed granite steps.

West gable is abutted by a two-storey commercial building (c.1990), exposed section is brick and has no openings.

Rear elevation is abutted by a three storey return to right of centre, extended by a further return at half-landing level. Exposed right bay has a window to upper floors; left bay has a replacement tripartite window divided by timber mullions and transoms to upper landing levels. Ground floor abutted by modern extensions. The return is plainly detailed as the rear elevation, with windows to all sides at upper floors.

East gable is abutted by a three storey commercial building (c.1970).

Roof: Pitched natural slate
Walling: Sandstone ashlar to principal elevation, brick to remainder
Windows: 1/1 timber sashes
RWG: Concealed, uPVC downpipes

Historical information

According to Rowan the bank was built in 1892 to designs by Robert Watt and is a former Provincial Bank. (Rowan, p.495).

The building is first shown on the third edition OS Map of 1905. The Valuation Revisions first record the property in 1894 as a “house, office and yard, occupied by the ‘Provincial Bank of Ireland Ltd,’ and valued at £100.

Rothery (1997) states that: “the Provincial Bank was set up in the early decades of the nineteenth century and while its finances were British, most of the staff of the Irish branches were Scottish. Scotland pioneered branch banking and the Provincial’s vigorous intention to promote this system throughout Ireland was largely responsible for the proliferation of branch banks throughout the land. By 1846 the Provincial had established the huge number of forty-two branches. This number was cut, however, to thirty-eight in 1850 due to a slump in agricultural prices.... The Provincial was the second bank to become part of Allied Irish” (Rothery, p.133).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/5/1-First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/5/2-Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/41 Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
5. PRONI VAL12/E/1/187/1-12 -Town Plan of Strabane (1874-1908)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/42/31A-M -Valuation Revisions (1860-1931)

Secondary Sources

1. Rothery, Sean. “A Field Guide to the Buildings of Ireland: Illustrating the Smaller Buldings of Town and Countryside.”Dublin: Lilliput, 1997.
2. Rowan, Alistair. “North West Ulster: Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.” Buildings of Ireland Series. Dublin: Penguin Books, 1979.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A well-proportioned high street bank, with sandstone façade, built in 1892 to designs by Robert Watt and located to the north side of Main Street, Strabane. The bank is characterised by restrained classical detailing, and is almost symmetrical with the exception of different entrance treatments. The layout is noticeably skewed from within, indicating that the bank was integrated into an existing urban setting, with plans having to accommodate the irregularities of an already developed site. Dummy doors to the upper floors suggest links with a former neighbouring building at east, now gone. The twin entrances represent the former commercial practice of providing self-contained living accommodation for the bank manager and his family in the upper floors. A good proportion of original fabric remains intact. Although nothing remains of the original banking hall, the building retains its original use, and is one of the more significant architectural buildings in Strabane town centre.