Site of former no.28 Townsend Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site, off the northeast side of Townsend Street, formerly occupied by a single-storey thatched house of possible pre 1833 construction, demolished some time after 1983 to make way for a new housing development.

The the First Survey description of 11 February 1970 reads:
‘Pre 1833. A single-storey cottage with modern grey roughcast walls, rendered quoins and hipped thatched roof. Drop-hung windows with sashes [are] divided vertically into three panes [and] are enclosed in plain architraves. The roof is in good condition; hipped thatch is unusual in this locality’.

Historical information

A building matching the plan of the house on site until recently is shown on the OS map of 1833-34. Unfortunately the town plan of Strabane drawn up to accompany the valuation of 1832-34 has been lost, making it extremely difficult to trace any details of the property at this date. It can be traced in the second valuation of 1857 however, where it is noted as occupied by a Daniel Patton, with a William Martin the immediate lessor.

In 1873, the valuers refer to the house for the first time as ‘Green Cottage’ and its rateable value rises slightly to £3. This could suggest that some work was carried out to the building around this time, work which may have given the property its somewhat ‘planned’ picturesque appearance (as well as a name). In 1896 a new tenant, Francis McColgan, is recorded, with the representatives of James Robinson noted as the immediate lessor. James McPhelomy took over the tenancy in 1909, with a Thomas McCrossan following on from him in 1919/20. McCrossan was succeeded by a Michael Christy sometime between 1930 and1935, [there are no valuations between these dates], with a Charles Devine becoming the lessor. By the latter date the house is referred to by the valuers as ‘Green Lane Cottage’. Michael Christy acquired the freehold of the property in 1948 and remained there until 1970, when an Una Christy is listed as resident.

The building was demolished some time after 1983 to make way for a new housing development.

References- Primary sources
1 ‘Pigot & Co’s City of Dublin and Hibernian Commercial Directory (Manchester 1824)
2 PRONI VAL/1B/638A First valuation, Camus parish (1832-c.38)
3 PRONI VAL/1B/638B First valuation, Camus parish (1832-c.38)
4 PRONI VAL/1B/638C First valuation, Camus parish (1832-c.38)
5 PRONI OS/6/6/5/1 OS map, County Tyrone sheet 5 (1833-34)
6 Lewis, Samuel, ‘Topographical history of Ireland’ (London, 1837)
7 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1846)
8 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1856)
9 PRONI VAL/2B/6/41 Second valuation, Camus parish (1857)
10 PRONI VAL/2D/6/18A Valuation town plan of Strabane (1857 [-59])
11 PRONI VAL/2D/6/18B Valuation town plan of Strabane (1857 [-59]) [PRONI also holds a microfiche copy of this plan, catalogued under the ref. T/2933/4/252.]
12 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31A Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED(1860-64)
13 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31B Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1864-73)
14 ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester, 1870)
15 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31C Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1874-81)
16 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31D Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1882-91)
17 PRONI OS/8/25/1/1-17 OS town plan of Strabane (1883)
18 PRONI OS/9/22/2/1-17 OS town plan of Strabane (1883)
19 PRONI VAL/12E/187/1/1-12 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1884 [-1908])
20 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31E Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1892-96)
21 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31F Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1892-96)
22 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31G Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1897-1910)
23 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31H Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1897-1910)
24 PRONI OS/8/25/2/1-3 OS town plan of Strabane (1905)
25 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ (Belfast, 1905)
26 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31J Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1911-22)
27 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31K Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1911-22)
28 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31L Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1922-31)
29 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31M Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1922-31)
30 PRONI VAL/3B/7/14 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Strabane UD (1935
31 PRONI VAL/3C/7/23 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, annual revisions, Strabane UD (1936-57)
32 PRONI VAL/3G/159/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1936-55)
33 PRONI VAL/3G/159/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1951-55) [Sheets 1 and 3 are currently missing.]
34 EHS OS map (1:10,000 scale), sheet 72 (1983)

Secondary sources
1 Bradley, Jim, et al, ‘The Fair River Valley: Strabane Through the Ages’ (Belfast, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2000)

Other
references
1 EHS HB10/14/001 First Survey report (11 Feb 1970)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site, off the northeast side of Townsend Street, formerly occupied by a single-storey thatched house of possible pre 1833 construction, demolished some time after 1983 to make way for a new housing development.