Sliverwood Villa 30 Francis Street Lurgan BT66 6DN

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey detached suburban dwelling house of 1905-06 in a typically Edwardian 'Free picturesque' manner, whose asymmetric half rendered half brick frontage includes a veranda and a gable with decorative bargeboards. The part-gabled, part-hipped roof has replacement asbestos tiles, all (or most) of the windows now have PVC frames, and there a c.1970s lean-to garage to the south side, and what appears to be a c.1950s extension to the rear.

Historical information

The valuation records indicate that this house was built in of just prior to 1906 for Ernest Green, who appears to have been a local coal merchant. The identity of the architect is not known. The house is shown on the OS map of 1905-06 marked 'Silverwood', but was later known as 'Silverwood Villa'.

The building was advertised for sale in early 1920, the sale notice describing it as 'a slated building, containing 2 reception rooms on the ground floor, 4 bedrooms, kitchen, 2 pantries, scullery, box-room and W.C….with coal-house, shed and large enclosed kitchen garden at rere'.

The property is recorded as vacant in 1928, with James McVeigh, a spirit merchant of nearby Edward Street, noted as the occupant in 1929. Mr. McVeigh died in 1939 and his widow, Ellen in c.1948 and the house was sold in 1951 for £2,700. It appears to have been acquired by Mr. Owen R. Lavery, who bought adjacent land along Francis Street around this time also, upon part of which his family later (c.1960) established the neighbouring petrol station.

Mr. Lavery retained Silverwood Villa into the 1980s.

References – Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL12B/14/9F, J, M Annual valuation revision books
2 OS map County series, Armagh sheet 6 – 1905-06, 1935, 1954; IG sheet 182-6 – 1963-64, 1979
3 'Lurgan Mail' - 14 February 1920, p.1; 19 November 1938, p.2; 5 October 1940, p.2; 18 September 1948, p.2; 10 August 1951, p.2; 24 August 1951, p.1; 13 June 1952, p.2; 5 September 1958, p.3; 21 November 1958, p.9; 11 February 1966, p.20; 28 May 1981, p.29
4 'Belfast News-Letter' - 27 August 1951, p.8

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two-storey detached suburban dwelling house of 1905-06 in a typically Edwardian 'Free picturesque' manner, whose asymmetric half rendered half brick frontage includes a veranda and a gable with decorative bargeboards. The building, which has several later extensions and has had its original frames and roof covering replaced, does not meet the criteria for listing.

General comments

Previous LQ HB14/LQ062