Service section of Alexander House, Main Street, Caledon, Co Tyron BT68 4TZ

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, two storey rendered and gabled service wing attached to a large gentleman’s ‘village’ residence. The house (‘Alexander House’) itself is of probable 18th century construction, but the service wing, though of pre 1830s origin, assumed its present form in c.1898 when the roof was undoubtedly raised and the decorative fretted gables added. The wing is to the north gable of the house itself with The whole ensemble is situated close to the S end of Caledon Main Street.

The front (E) elevation of the service section is asymmetrical. To the ground floor are four evenly spaced sash windows with Georgian panes (all 6/6). Each window has a moulded surround and the 2nd and 4th windows have railings over (similar to those on the half-landing window to the rear of the house). To far right is an open segmental headed carriage arch with stone [?limestone] dressings. There is an enclosed area to left of the arch, with railings as front of house. To the first floor there are five sash windows in line with the ground floor openings. These windows are marginally broader than those to the ground floor, but with that to far right slightly narrower; they also have Edwardian style glazing (4/4). Each has a moulded surround (as ground floor), and all, apart from that to far right, have small gables above with barges with, ties, finials and elaborate fretwork (sections of which have broken off).

The S end of this section abuts the house. The N gable is abutted by a slightly lower two storey house (which used to be the local constabulary barrack for most of the 1800s).

The rear elevation of the service section has a complex appearance. To far left is the back end of carriage arch (which has stone voussoirs). Directly above this (to first floor) is a small sash window (vertical glazing bars- 2/2). To immediate right of the archway is a high stone wall, which encloses the yard at the rear of this section (the archway gives access to the rear of the neighbouring property to N). The wall has a pronounced bevel where it abuts the rear of the service section and contained within the bevel is a large segmental arched carriage gate with relatively recent sheeted double door / gate. To the right hand side of the wall there are two ground floor windows, with dilapidated sash frames (as first floor front) and railings over. To the first floor left there is a small window with Georgian-paned frame.

To right of these windows there extends a large two storey hipped roof return. To the N face of the return there are three windows to each floor, all with dilapidated sash frames (4/4). To the shorter W face there is doorway to left on the ground floor. To the S face there is a small frameless window to left on the first floor and a larger sash window (as N) to the first floor. To far right this face of the return is abutted by a two storey hipped roof projection with a timber sheeted and glazed door to the ground floor and two small (square) sash windows with sash frames (2/2) above this. These windows are set at different levels though quite close together- they appear to light a secondary stairwell. To the S of the projection there extends a tall stone (this separates the yard from the garden to S).

The service section is rendered as house to front, with rougher harling to rear- which has partly come away revealing a construction largely of stone but with a portion to the eaves in brick (reinforcing the idea that this building has been raised in height). The projection to S of the return has relatively fresh unpainted lined render. The gabled roof is slated and has two rendered chimneystacks (one to N gable). At the intersection of the roof of the return with the main roof there is large metal water tank.

Historical information

Alexander House
The earliest direct reference to the house would appear to be Robert Barn’s 1813 map of Caledon, which depicts a large two storey house on this site with what appears to be a flight of steps leading to the door. We have no proof, of course that this is indeed the present house, however, for though the property is undoubtedly that shown on the valuation map of 1838, the accompanying valuation book (unusually) gives no details as to its age. Nonetheless there are some important pieces of information which suggest that the building dates from well before 1813, and who it may have been built for.

Barn’s map tells us that the property belonged to a John Pringle in 1813. The Pringle family held the leases of much property within Caledon from at least 1737 to the early 1800s, mostly on the western side of the street. A lease of 1737 specifically stipulates that an earlier John Pringle ‘build six dwelling houses each 35ft long…20ft wide and 10ft high and office houses comfortable’. As with many such stipulations, the dimensions given were usually minimum requirements, with the dwellings actually built exceeding them. Thus it is possible, that the present Alexander House was built in or closely after this date. This suggestion is supported by other evidence. Firstly, successive members of the Pringle family acted as agents for the owners of Caledon from the 1776 at least, as agents usually lived in a relatively high status residence- it is feasible to suggest that the house was standing at this date. Secondly, certain elements of the detailing to the house appear early to mid 18th century, most notably the staircase and the architraves. Thus it is probable that this house was built by the Pringle family, that it served as the agent’s residence from the beginning (as it definitely did for much of the 19th century), and that it may date from the mid 1700s.

The last Pringle owner of the house appears to have been the aforementioned John, who died c.1815. He was followed as resident (and as agent) by Henry Leslie Prentice, who is listed as such in the valuation of 1838 and whose family remained there until the 1870s. The Prentices were followed in the later 19th and early 20th century by various members of the Alexander family, relations of the Earls of Caledon.

The property is shown on the 1838 valuation map along with the service section to the north and the outbuilding complex to the rear. The service section is also indicated on Barn’s 1813 map, but we know from its datestone that the outbuilding (which mainly contained stables) appeared in 1830. By 1860, when the second valuation map was produced, the porch had been added to the front of the house.

In the later 1800s significant alterations were made to property with the large return added to the rear of the service section, some windows to the front of the house enlarged and the square bay added to the rear. Judging from the style of these changes (i.e. the mullioned and transomed window frames, the fretted gables to the service section etc.) and the information supplied by the annual valuation revision books, it would appear that they were carried out in 1898. The large return, however, has the appearance of being slightly earlier (it seems to be completely built of rubble), but there is no documentary evidence to support this. It is probable that the 1898 changes involved the heightening of the service section, for its front windows are awkwardly close to the eaves, its roofline cuts across an attic window to the house, and the uppermost portions of the walls are in brick rather than stone.

Subsquent changes to the property appear to have been largely internal with the large opening in the living room wall (linking it with the kitchen) inserted some time in the mid 1900s and most of the fireplaces removed. In recent years the service section has been used mainly as a store.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.2433 Caledon Papers [See individual
references]
2 PRONI D.2433/A/5/3 Caledon Papers ‘Transactions relating to the Caledon Estate since the grant thereof to William Hamilton Esq. by King Charles 2nd’ (Summaries of various, mainly early to mid 18th century, leases.)
3 PRONI D.2433/A/1/85/1 Caledon Papers Lease from the Earl of Cork & Orrery to William Pringle of a tenement and garden in Caledon, 1 June 1773
4 ‘Taylor’s and Skinner’s Maps of the roads of Ireland’ (Dublin, 1777)
5 PRONI D.2433/A/13/7/1 Caledon Papers ‘A map and survey of tenements and gardens in the town of Calidon by Robt. Barns’, 1813
6 PRONI OS/6/6/67/1 OS map 1st ed. 1834, Co Tyrone sh.67
7 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland vol.20: Parishes of County Tyrone II’, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams
(QUB 1993)
8 PRONI VAL/1D/6/8 Valuation town plan of Caledon (c.1833-38)
9 PRONI VAL/1B/66c First valuation, Parish of Aghaloo (1836-38)
10 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
11 PRONI OS/6/6/67/2 OS map 1st rev c.1857, Co Tyrone sh.67
12 PRONI VAL/2B/6/6C Second valuation, Parish of Aghaloo (1859) [in print]
13 PRONI VAL/2D/6/14 Valuation town plan of Caledon (1859)
14 ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870)
15 PRONI VAL/12B/38/8b-f Annual valuation revision books, 1864-1929
16 PRONI VAL/12E/164/1 Valuation town plan of Caledon, 1905 [-1909]
17 PRONI OS/65/1 OS town plan of Caledon (1907)
18 PRONI D.2433/A/13/51/1 Caledon Papers Plan for ‘alterations to Alexander House, Caledon’, ?c.1910-20
19 PRONI VAL/3G/136/2 Valuation town plan of Caledon (1935-54)
20 EHS Records of the first survey of buildings of historical and architectural interest in Caledon ward (1971)

Secondary sources
1 John Johnston Marshall ‘History of the territory of Munterburn and town of Caledon’ (Dungannon, Tyrone Printing Co., 1923)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large, two storey, rendered and gabled service wing attached to a large gentleman’s ‘village’ residence. The house (‘Alexander House’) itself is of probable 18th century construction, but the service wing, though of pre 1830s origin, assumed its present form in c.1898 when the roof was undoubtedly raised and the decorative fretted gables added. The wing is to the north gable of the house itself. The building is of special interest for its style, proportion, setting and group value and its historical assocaition with the adjacent house , the Caledon Estate and the development of the village.