Station House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An L-shaped two-storey/three bay former Station House with arcaded entrance porch. The right bay is single-storey and lower than main block. Set to the E of Newtownbutler Village, the Station House is aligned NW-SE with its rear (NE) face overlooking to the former railway line.

Pitched natural slate roof with four brick chimneys on stone bases – one to the right gable of both the centre and right bays, that to centre bay is advanced; and two set perpendicular to ridge of left bay. Rear pitch has two wall head dormers with timber bargeboards. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Walls are coursed rubble stone with sandstone dressings to openings, entrance porch and quoins. Principal elevation faces SW. All windows are Gothic-headed without cills unless otherwise stated. Left bay has two windows to each floor; those to first floor are narrower and placed closer together. Its right cheek contains a Gothic-headed timber entrance door, accessed from porch; the exposed section is blank. Centre bay is wider and is almost completely abutted by an arcaded entrance porch with hipped natural slate roof and sandstone octagonal posts with moulded heads and bases. Porch is accessed by a number of stone steps and its front face has two Gothic-headed openings and the right cheek has one similar opening; all flanked by engaged posts. To ground floor is a large window to left and a Gothic-headed timber door to right. Right bay has a central window.

Rear elevation has two windows to left bay. Centre bay has a window to left and a Gothic-headed timber door to right. All windows are paired mullion and transom with cusped-heads; those to ground floor are set within a Gothic-headed recess. Above to first floor is a diminished in height window to wall-head dormer and a small rectangular window over door. Right bay has a window to each floor.

Right gables are blank.

Historical information

This station lies on the Dundalk - Enniskillen railway. It was designed by William George Murray and is very similar to his two others on the same line at Lisbellaw and Lisnaskea (both of which have disappeared); he was also responsible for Enniskillen and Tynan stations. The building was erected in 1858 under the supervision of Sir John Macneill, chief engineer to the Dundalk & Enniskillen Railway Company.

This line between Clones and Lisbellaw opened in 1858, and the final section to Enniskillen in the following year. The D&ER became the Irish North Western Railway in 1862. In 1876 the INW amalgamated with the Ulster and Northern Railways to form the Great Northern Railway. The line, and station, closed in 1957.

Secondary sources:
1. S. Johnson, Johnson's Atlas & Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland (Leicester, 1997).
2. W. A. McCutcheon, The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland, p.165 and plate 34 (Belfast, 1980).

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

V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Designed by William George Murray c1858, this is the sole survivor of the three he built on this line. The former Station House constructed of coursed rubble stone with sandstone dressings is attractive and well proportioned; retaining much of its original character and internal fabric.