44 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey/ three- bay house aligned roughly N-S along the W side of High Street.

Pitched natural slate roof with a cement-rendered chimney to each gable. Advanced eaves course carries half-round metal rainwater goods.

Principal elevation faces W. Walls are cement-rendered and lined over a stepped basecourse. Painted stepped quoins to façade only. To centre is a gabled porch with pitch artificial slate roof with small saw-toothed bargeboard. A pair of four-panelled timber doors to front face; lower panels are t+g sheeted with timber lattice top panels. Over is a narrow transom; to left and right is a fixed margin-paned window with similar, but wider windows to each cheek. The entrance door set within porch is four-panelled with original brass furniture and plainly glazed transom over.

To either side of porch is a 6/6 sliding sash window with horns and stone cill. Aligned above to first floor are three similar windows.

Left gable has a window set to left of each floor – that to ground floor is fixed single-pane without cill. That to first floor is a 1/1 sliding sash.

Rear elevation is abutted by a link block to a rear outbuilding at first floor centre (incorporated into the house at first floor only). Exposed ground floor at central bay has a t+g sheeted door (containing a glazed panel). Left bay has a 6/6 sliding sash to each floor. Right bay has a similar window to ground floor only. The link block is diagonally aligned (NE-SW) with a flat felted roof and t+g sheeted walls and soffit. It contains a 6/6 sliding sash window at NW face.

The outbuilding is aligned W-E has a pitched natural slate roof with brick chimney to W gable. Walls are rubble stone. N elevation has a t+g sheeted door at extreme right and at centre. At right is a 1/6 sliding sash window. First floor has a 2/2 sliding sash placed to right of centre. E gable faces house and is blank, but abutted by the link block at first floor. S elevation is blank. W gable is abutted by a lower shed with pitched corrugated metal roof and concrete block walls (open to N and of no interest).

Right gable is abutted by a single-storey house (of no interest); the exposed section is blank.

Historical information

A building is shown on this plot on the 1834 OS 6" map. It is described in the 1836 Valuation book as a dwelling belonging to Christopher Coulson and measuring 50ft x 23ft x 8ft6in. According to the 1860 Valuation, it still belonged to Mr Coulson. However, its dimensions are now given as 36ft x 24ft x 2 storeys, with a 24ft x 24ft x 1.5 storey annex; it is also noted as being "well finished". A comparison of these statistics suggests that it was rebuilt or extensively refurbished in the period 1836-1860.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834), Co Fermanagh sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/4/40/1).
2. First Valuation book, Galloon Parish (PRONI VAL 1B, 411A, p.133 and 253).
3. First Valuation map (PRONI VAL 1D/4/4, plot 49).
4. OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1857), Co Fermanagh sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/4/40/2).
5. Second Valuation book, 1860 (PRONI VAL 2B/4/7F, p.7).
6. Second Valuation map (PRONI VAL 2D/4/8, plot 28).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A pleasant and well-proportioned two-storey house directly facing the road in Newtownbutler Village. It is one of few buildings in the village not to have been radically altered, retaining not only its external character but also internal plan-form and most original interior features.