19 Merchantstown Road,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached four-bay two-storey house, built c.1900, facing north-east, located to the south side of Merchantstown Road. Rectangular-on-plan.

Roof is pitched natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles over brick corbelled eaves; lime-rendered brick chimneys. Walling is lime-rendered over English Garden Wall bonded red brick construction. Windows are square-headed timber framed 6/6 sliding sashes (diminished at first floor) in smooth rendered reveals; sandstone sills.

Principal elevation faces north-east and has an opening to each floor at each bay including a double-leaf vertically-sheeted timber entrance door with bronze knocker and geometric transom light located at second bay from left.

South-east gable contains vertically-sheeted timber door at ground floor right with evidence of pitched canopy over; exposed brick chimney flue to centre.

South-west (rear) elevation contains five equally-spaced 4/4 sliding sash windows at each floor; those to first floor are camber-headed.

North-west gable is blank.

Setting

The house is set in a rural site, surrounded by mature trees and now largely overgrown gardens; there is an enclosed yard at east bounded by remains of rubble walling, accessed through metal gate. Bounded to all other sides by rubble walling surmounted by wire fencing.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Render
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

A house is shown on the site on the first edition OS map of 1833. However, the current house does not appear until the 1906 edition, finally captioned ‘Mount View’ on the 1935 edition.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1858 lists a ‘house offices and land’, occupied by James Hamilton, leased from James C. Lowry, and valued at £4. A marginal note reads ‘good new slated house’.

The occupier is revised to Edward Hamilton in 1897, and a marginal note reads, ‘new house in progress in 1899’, this is noted as being ‘unfinished’ in 1903. Post 1933 the value of the plot is raised to £8.5s including outbuildings (change undated). It is noted to comprise three bedrooms, two rooms and a kitchen. The house is of rubble masonry and slate and there is porch constructed entirely of corrugated iron. In 1941 Edward Hamilton sells the house to P Conway for £1,000.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/36/1-4 - Ordnance Survey Maps (1833, 1853, 1906, 1935)
2. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/36 - Townland Valuation Map (1820-1840)
3. PRONI VAL/1/B/632 - Townland Valuation (1820-1840)
4. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/36 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1858)
5. PRONI VAL2/B/6/34A-C - Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/35A-F - Valuation Revisions (1860-1929)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached four-bay two-storey rendered house, built c.1900. This asymmetrical house, located within a secluded rural setting, retains some of its original detailing, including windows and doors and appears to have remained unaltered with plan form remaining intact. As such it is worthy of record but it is of a late date and not of special interest.