38 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively plain, three storey terrace house / shop, with large carriage archway, rough cast façade and large modern flat-roofed extension to the rear; possibly (along with the present no.36) originally part of a larger pre-1837 inn, this property served as the local constabulary barracks in the later 19th and early 20th century. The building is set on the sloping N side of Main Street, Richhill.

The gabled roof and that of the return are both slated, with decorative clay ridge tiles (mid to later 19th century) to the main roof. Rendered parapet to E. Relatively large and roughly central rendered chimneystack (which looks mid to later 19th century) to main roof with prominent projecting ‘cornice’ course. Metal rw goods.

The asymmetrical front elevation faces S. To the right hand side of the ground floor level is a timber and glazed door with plain rectangular fanlight. To the left of this is a plain sash window, [the room behind this window looks as if it should belong to no.36 but has actually belonged to no.38 since at least 1860]. To right of the doorway is a window similar to before, but with its sill almost touching the ground due to the slope of the street. Both ground floor windows are covered with security grilles. To the far right is a large elliptical headed carriage gateway with corrugated iron doors. To both the first and second floors there are two windows with recent top hung timber frames made to resemble sash ones. The windows are in line with each other and in line with the right hand window to the ground floor and the carriage gateway. The first floor window to left is larger than that to right. The front elevation is finished in roughcast with smooth render in-out quoins to right and a smooth cement surround to the gateway and as a ‘keystone’ to the doorway - all painted. There is small modern laminated signboard above the ground floor window to right. Stone step to doorway.

To the right hand side of the rear elevation there extends a two storey gabled return. To the E face of this return there is a small single storey lean-to, which is devoid of openings. To the gable of the return there is a large modern single storey flat roofed return, built in concrete block. To the first floor of the gable of the return there is a plain sash window.

To the left of the return (to façade of main building) is the back of the carriage arch. To the first floor (above right of the gateway) is a plain sash window. To first floor are two smaller plain sash windows. The rear elevation (excluding the modern extension) is finished in unpainted roughcast. The E-facing (inner) wall of the carriage arch is roughly harled, but much of its lower half is in random rubble.

Long and relatively narrow garden to rear.

Historical information

A large three-storey house occupying the space of the present nos. 36 and 38 is shown on the valuation map of c.1837-38 and recorded as occupied by a Joseph Jowel. The valuers state that this property was a ‘former inn’, probably over twenty years old at that point, and that Mr Jowel had ‘given notice of his intention to quit at November’. It is probable that the inn had closed due to Richhill’s relative decline in the preceding years, a situation in some part due (according to the contemporary OS Memoirs) to the fact that since ‘the alteration of the road…neither carriers no coaches pass through it’

By 1860 two separate three-storey properties are recorded as occupying the site, with the present no. 38 acting as the local constabulary barracks. The valuers give no indication that either of these properties were of recent construction, so it is probable that both had been created by sub-dividing the building recorded in 1837. This is supported by the fact that the combined dimensions of the two 1860 buildings match the earlier one and that the carriage arch to the east side was present in 1837, moreover the awkwardness of the internal layout of no. 38 (note the ‘extra’ ground floor room for instance) also appears to suggest the property was not ‘planned’ from scratch as it were. It is difficult to say what external changes were made to the building during the sub-division, however the return was not present in 1837 and the chimneystacks and red clay ridge tiles all appear mid to later 19th century.

No.38 continued to act as a constabulary barracks / police station until the mid 1900s [?c.1955] before reverting to private hands. It latterly served as a hardware shop and a large single storey extension was added to the rear in c.1980s.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1B/229A-B First valuation, Kilmore parish, 1837
2 PRONI VAL/1D/2/5 First valuation plan of Richhill, 1837-38
3 ‘OS Memoirs of Ireland’ vol.1, ed Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB, 1990), p.62 [1837]
4 PRONI VAL/2B/26E Second valuation, Richhill, c.1860-63
5 PRONI VAL/2D/2/4 Second valuation plan of Richhill. 1863
6 PRONI VAL/12B/10/37A-F Annual valuation revision books, Richhill, 1864-1929
7 PRONI VAL/12E/64/1 Valuation plan of Richhill, 1904[-09]
8 PRONI VAL/12E/65/1 Valuation plan of Richhill, 1908[-35]
9 PRONI VAL/3B/2/3 First general revaluation, RD of Armagh, 1935
10 PRONI VAL/3G/52/1 Valuation plan of Richhill/ 1937[-57]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively plain, three storey terrace house / shop; possibly (along with the present no.36) originally part of a larger pre 1837 inn, this property served as the local constabulary barracks in the later 19th and early 20th century. Extensive loss of historic details and fabric, together with modern alterations, have compromised its quality. It is possible that this building is pre 1835, however apart from the front elevation there is little which is ‘special’ about the property.