18-20 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached three-storey classically fronted brick former post office, built 1905, located on north of High Street. Rectangular on plan, three-openings-wide, facing south with central pediment breakfront; lower return to rear flanked to left by single-storey flat-roofed annex and to right by two-storey flat-roofed addition; two-storey pitched-roofed extension to rear of return.

Hipped natural slate roof, angled blue/black hip tiles, ogee-profile uPVC gutters. Walling is Flemish-bonded red brick over splayed plinth with stone dressings over banded rusticated stone ground floor (principal elevations only, other elevations are brick without ornamentation). Windows are either square-headed 1/1 timber sashes or 1/1 casements (except where otherwise stated).

Principal (south) elevation has central pedimented breakfront with dressed limestone quoins above ground floor; moulded entablature parapet coping. Ground floor has banded rustication over chamfered plinth with projecting moulded cornice over frieze above, windows are replacement teak casements, central window is widened with plastic fascia over. First floor has moulded stone sill course over dressed apron-level platband, moulded entablatures above, square-headed painted timber 6/1 sash, lugged moulded stone architraves with keyblocks; breakfront has central sash flanked by 4/1 sashes in dressed limestone surround with keyblocks, central window surmounted by segmental pediment on carved brackets. Second floor has diminished square-headed painted timber 6/1 sashes; breakfront has three windows with moulded architraves and shared sills. Limestone triangular pediment has carved oak leaves for spandrel decoration and central cartouche of “E VII” cipher encircled with Order of the Garter, surmounted by Tudor crown

West elevation second floor has four casement windows, first and ground floors each two windows to left side.

Rear (north) elevation is abutted by return; exposed section has single horizontal casement window with security bars to left. Return rear elevation is abutted by rear extension; exposed section has single sash window with security bars to second floor; right cheek has two sash windows per floor; left cheek is abutted by two-storey addition, exposed section has two windows. Extension rear gable is rendered and blank; left cheek is entirely abutted by boundary wall, right cheek has variety of windows and single door.

East elevation is abutted by neighbouring building, exposed section is blank.

Setting:-
Bank is street fronted, opening directly only High Street at south; tarmac parking lot to rear, tarmac driveway to west.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Red brick with stone dressings
Windows: Timber
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

The building is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1905-6, a previous building is shown on the 1833 and 1854 OS maps.

Valuation Revisions record the property under exemptions as the ‘post office, Inland Revenue office and yard’ this is added to ‘site for new post office’ in 1905. The building valuation is £85. R.H Ellis is listed as the occupier.

The building was previously a post office and is now the Nationwide Building Society (and previously the Belfast Bank). The upper floors were all remodelled c.1960.

According to Rowan, the bank was built in 1902 to designs by architect J. L. Donnelly. (p448)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/35/1-First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/35/2-Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/35/3-Third Edition OS Map (1905-6)
4. PRONI VAL/1/D/6/6 -Town Plan of Omagh (1824-1844)
5. PRONI VAL/2/D/6/17 -Town Plan of Omagh (1849-1869)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/37-Valuation Revisions (1903-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/12/E/186/1-Town Plan of Omagh (1882-1909)
8. PRONI VAL/12/F/7/7/1- Valuation Revisions (1930-35)

Secondary Sources

1. Rowan, Alistair. Buildings of Ireland-North West Ulster. Penguin: Dublin, 1979.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A attached early-twentieth-century three-storey former post office, built 1905. The building is representative of early twentieth century classical styling in an urban setting, detailed by a strong polychromatic brick and limestone façade with a prominent Edwardian cipher contained within its pediment. Although compromised by remodelling, it is a good example of the type.