Erganagh Rectory

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey over basement former rectory, built c.1840, located to the south side of Glenpark Road. Rectangular-on-plan with full height bowed bay to south-west.

Roof is hipped natural slate with leaded ridges over corbelled eaves course; corbelled ruled-and-lined chimneys with original clay pots. Walls are sandstone rubble (squared to principal elevation) with ashlar sandstone quoins over projecting plinth. Windows are square-headed timber framed 6/3 sliding sash (6/6 to ground floor) in stepped sandstone surrounds with keyblock; sandstone sills.

Principal elevation faces north; central recessed bay contains entrance accessed by sandstone steps over passage around basement; replacement square-headed four-panelled timber door flanked at each side by sandstone pilasters and sidelights with (margin lights) surmounted by plain frieze and cornice supported on console brackets; segmental-headed fanlight over; single window with margin lights at first floor; left and right bays each contain single window with margin lights at each floor (no margin lights to basement).

East elevation contains central four-panelled timber door flanked by sidelights to basement; single 6/3 sliding sash window at ground floor flanked at right by square-headed alcove; at first floor, double-leaf timber framed glazed doors.

South elevation has four windows at each floor.

West elevation consists of two windows at each floor to left; bowed bay at right contains two windows at each floor.

Setting:-
Set within mature gardens; to east, enclosed yard at basement level accessed via stone steps to east (further access to north of building); rubble retaining wall supports two-storey lean-to rubble outbuilding to south-east; two-storey lean-to rubble outbuilding to south-east; access to former walled garden to south through square-headed opening; rubble boundary wall partly surmounted by iron railings; further one-and-a-half rubble outbuilding to south-east abutted at west by single-storey lean-to building; former single-storey stable block to east.

Bounded to road at north by timber fence and hedging; access to north-west through pair of square sandstone piers with flat coping supporting pair of iron gates; single-bay single-storey gatelodge to west (now modernised).

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Sandstone
Windows: Timber framed 6/3 sliding sash (6/6 to ground floor) in stepped sandstone surround; sandstone sills
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The building is shown in its current form, and captioned ‘Erganagh Glebe’ on the second edition OS map of 1854. The map of 1833 shows a previous building, also known as ‘Erganagh Glebe’. The property is captioned ‘Erganagh Rectory’ on the third edition OS map of 1905-6.

The property is recorded in the Townland Valuation of the 1830’s as a 'house and offices’, the occupier is the Rev. D. Hart, and the building is valued at £21 16s.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1858 records the property as a ‘house, offices, gatehouse and land’. The occupier is the Rev. James Byrne. The building is valued at £22 and is noted to be ‘much improved’. Valuation Revisions from the 1860-64 book record the building valuation as £36, which suggests that some improvements or additions were made c.1860. The valuation decreases somewhat to £29 in 1905. In 1899 the occupier changes to the Rev. Gerald King Monarty, and to the Rev. Joseph R. Beattie in 1924.

The OS memoirs describe the building as follows; ‘the Glebe is an old house, very uninteresting and is shortly to be pulled down and a new one erected...’ (pg 17).

Rowan claims Erganagh Rectory was ‘…rebuilt in 1836... [and has] the recessed panel decoration and cubic massing characteristic of William Farrell, who may well have been the architect. (pg, 430)

Haldane Mitchell writes that ‘the Rectory was built in 1836 and replaced an old house which was uninteresting architecturally. The present building by William Farrell is a three-bay, two-storied structure with a four-bay back. It once had a Gate Lodge but this was demolished some twenty years ago’ (Mitchell, p.172)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/26/1-First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/26/2-Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/26/3-Third Edition OS Map (1905-6)
4. PRONI VAL/1/B/645B -Townland Valuation
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/47A -Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/32A-33G-Valuation Revisions (1860-1929?)
7. PRONI OS Memoirs: Tyrone-1821,1823,1831-6 Vol 5.

Secondary Sources

1. Rowan, A. The Buildings of Ireland. North West Ulster. Penguin: 1979.
2. Mitchell, H, ed.. ‘Images of Omagh and District. Vol. 7. 1999.

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

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A detached three-bay two-storey over basement former rectory, built c.1840. The building is of a scale and character indicative of its important former role as Glebe house, yet is plainly detailed with little ornamentation to the exterior. Its design is reminiscent of the work of William Farrell but not confirmed as such, although Farrell was active hereabouts, both in relation to the Board of First Fruits and major civic buildings in Co Tyrone. This building of austere character and unusual detailing, along with associated outbuildings and gardens, is a good example of the type of substantial rural rectory that is a significant element in the county.