19 Bowling Green, Strabane, Co Tyrone BT82 8BW

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively plain three-storey terraced house of probable pre 1832 construction, one of a group of four similar buildings, only two of which are original. The property is set on the southeast side of (the) Bowling Green.

The asymmetrical front elevation faces NW. To the right on the ground floor is the entrance which consists of a mid 1900s flat-panel door and plain rectangular fanlight, all encased with plain pilasters, the pilaster to the left surmounted by a decorative console bracket which supports a projecting cornice. The entrance forms a neatly symmetrical feature with the door of the house to the right / SW (no.17).

To the left of the doorway are two identical windows, each with plate-glass glazed timber sash frames and moulded surrounds. There are two more similar windows to the first floor, with two more shorter versions to the second floor. The front façade is finished in painted lined render with bevelled quoins to the left hand edge.

The NE gable is abutted at ground and first floor level by a high wall belonging to the neighbouring police station. The exposed upper half of the gable is finished as the front elevation, but unpainted. There are two small, widely-spaced window openings at attic level, both of which have been boarded up.

The rear elevation of the property could not be observed.

The gabled roof is covered asbestos slates and there is a rendered chimneystack to the NE end. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Historical information

This site is shown developed on the OS map of 1833-34. Unfortunately the 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 buildings within the town at this date with any degree of certainty. Reading through the valuation book itself, however, one finds four dwellings of identical size whose dimensions, (23ft x 26 x 27, with returns of 23 x 12½ x 12), appear to match the two remaining original dwellings of this short terrace (nos.17 and 19). These four houses, regarded by the valuers as ‘not new’ at that point, were occupied by a Francis O’Brien, Colonel McAlpin, Daniel Wauchob [probably Wauchop] and William Elliott.

The second valuation of 1857 retains its map, which shows the terrace much as it was until the part demolition of recent years. Unusually, (and, once again, unfortunately), the valuers supply no details of the dimensions, nor any ‘quality letter’, so we cannot make any comparisons in terms of measurements or age, and therefore cannot ascertain whether the buildings of 1857 were indeed the group of four mentioned in 1832. There are two ‘links’ between the former and latter valuations, however, which would tend to suggest that it was the same terrace. Firstly, the immediate lessors of the houses recorded in 1857 are listed as ‘the representatives of Colonel James McAlpin’, the same man, (it would appear), who was is noted as occupying one of the properties in 1832. Secondly, in both valuations two houses are valued slightly lower than the other two, (on account, according to the 1832 details, of one pair not having cellars).

Neither of these ‘links’ prove that the buildings of 1857 -two of which are still standing today- were the properties noted in 1832. Externally, their general appearance, (notwithstanding the later plate glass sashes and flat-panel doors), can safely be classed as ‘ late Georgian’, as can the remaining original internal detailing to no.17, in particular the staircase and the noticeably squat doorways and five-panel doors. The decorative consul brackets over the doorways have a somewhat Victorian feel, but they could well have been later additions.

No.19
In 1857 the house later known as no.19 Bowling Green was occupied by a William Ramsay, (holding neighbouring no.17 for much of this time also). Between c.1880 and 1887 the ‘Committee of Strabane Academy’ are listed as the occupants, with the building ‘vacant’ between there latter date and 1889.* A Rev J. Rutherford lived in the building for a short period in 1889/90 and was followed by a John McCay (1890-91), Robert Pollock (1891-94), John Campbell (1894-95). In 1896 John McCay was back in the building, holding the ground floor, with a John Wilson occupying those above, and the year after McCay is named as the immediate lessor, with a John J. Smith now living on the upper floors.

John McCay remained at no.19 until his death in c.1924, using the ground floor as an office. ‘John McCay & Co.’ are noted as the sole occupants from 1925 to 1931, and as occupying the ground level only for nineteen years after this. A Jane [or Jeannie] Smith resided on the upper floors from 1931 until 1954, in which year John and Margaret Perry became the immediate lessors. In 1955 a P. McGoldrick acquired the freehold, living in the house until at least 1972.

[*The Academy itself was on Derry Road.]

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/6/5/5/1 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 HB10/14/018 First Survey report (10 Feb 1970)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively plain three-storey terrace-house of probable pre 1832 construction, one of a group of four similar buildings, only two of which are original. The building appears largely intact externally, however the interior has not been surveyed.