Fitzpatricks

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey house and former spirit grocery dating from late 18th or early 19th C, with later 19thC additions, on W side of Downpatrick Street on corner of Caddells Lane. See also yard to rear (HB16/08/029B).

L shaped natural slate roof is gabled to left (S) of front block, hipped to right (N) side and gabled to rear (W) end. There are three tall decorative rendered chimneys with terracotta pots. Those to left (S) gable end and the rear ridge are identical, with stop-end chamfered corners and moulded bands/ coping. The third chimney is set at 45deg to the N corner. It has a panelled front inset with roundel and decorative colonettes with Corinthian capitals to each corner, moulded coping as others. Eaves are formed by brick brackets supporting terracotta tiles that step in and out from façade and support ogee cast iron gutters; downpipe to Caddells Lane.

Front elevation (to Downpatrick Street) is symmetrical, lined rendered and painted with contrasting painted basecourse. At ground floor centre is a 19thC painted timber shop front. Slightly recessed to centre is a pair of two panelled and bolection moulded storm doors. Their bottom panels are square. Moulded timber lintel over door, above which is a transom light with rounded top corners and leaded and coloured glazing with the letters “O & F” set into it in white glass (for Owen & Fitzpatrick).

On either side of this doorway are shop windows, both are vertically divided into two panes, each with an obscured glass transom (in line with, and detailed as, that over door but narrower). The windows have moulded timber frames and incised spandrels in their rounded top corners. A thick cast in-situ concrete cill has covered the bottoms of the frames. The stallriser below each cill has a chamfered base course. Set inside, within each of the shop window panes is a painted timber advertising panel. They have gold scripted text and read as follows: “Auctioneer”, “& Valuer”, “Wines &”, “Spirits”. Flanking the doorway and framing the shop windows to either end are reeded timber pilasters on slightly advanced painted granite plinths. Each pilaster has been plainly repaired at the bottom and at the top each has a plain frieze with roundel attached under a thin Scotia cornice. These pilasters support a flat timber fascia with decorated ends and a dentilled overhanging leaded timber cornice. Applied to the fascia in large individual plastic letter is “Fitzpatrick's”.

Walls to left and right of the shop front are blank. At first floor, in line with the shop windows, are two window openings. Each contains a pair of 1/1 sliding sashes with horns; painted granite cills, stop-end chamfered reveals and foliated ornamental keystones. The keystones support a thin moulded stringcourse between the first and second floors. There are two similar openings at second floor, but these are diminished in height and have plainer fielded keystones.

Left (S) gable is abutted by a lower building (HB16/08/035) and is blank above.

Right (N) elevation (to Caddells Lane) has render, eaves and stringcourse as façade. It is four openings wide to each floor, with an additional one between third and fourth openings at ground floor. Ground floor from left to right has five openings: (1) four panelled door, bottom two raised and fielded, top two glazed, with a plain transom light over; (2) 1/1 exposed box sliding sash with horns and painted granite cill (all windows to this façade are as this one unless otherwise stated); (3) 1/2 sliding sash (horizontally divided bottom sash); (4) four panelled door with bolection mouldings, beaded muntin, brass furniture and a narrow transom light; (5) 1/1 sash window.

There are four windows to each upper floor, with those at second floor diminished in height; all in line with those to ground floor. Set into wall at second floor left is a granite plaque incised “ Caddells / Street 1677”. This elevation continues right as an outbuilding fronting the yard (see HB16/08/029B).

The rear of the house fronts the yard. The rear of the Downpatrick Street block (W facing) is in two parts, a narrow W facing cheek and a long S facing elevation, at right angles to one another.

Eaves are plain rendered with a course of tiles above supporting the gutter. Walls are lined rendered and painted. Both elevations are abutted completely at ground floor by a lean-to extension (see later).

The W facing narrow cheek is abutted at first floor by the lean-to roof and at second floor has a 1/1 sash window with horns and granite cill.

The S facing elevation has two windows to each upper floor. All are 1/1 top-hung casements with granite cills. That to right has had its cill raised to accommodate the roof of the extension.

The extension has a lean-to natural slate roof with a modern skylight on its W facing pitch that is larger and taller than the other roof. Its S facing gable on the W facing block has two small 1/1 sashes at ground floor and a 1/1 fixed light in gable. Its front (W facing) wall has an original doorway containing a modern stained timber multi-glazed door.

The end gable of the S facing extension is blank and its S facing wall has a broad sheeted door with 1/1 sliding sash to its right and a modern 1/1 top-hung casement to its left (both with painted granite cills).

Historical information

A building is shown here on the 1776 Meade town map. The 1834 Valuation town map shows a building here which is described in the accompanying Valuation book as belonging to Stephen Tornan and valued at £10. Margaret Tornan occupied the premises in the early 1860s. The Second valuation book notes it has “a good situation. About the best in town for a public house”. Its measurements are given as 10yds x 7.75yds x 2 storeys. The 1894 Valuation revision entry notes “house raised and improved”. Taken over by Owen Fitzpatrick in, or shortly before, 1890.

Shop and bar functioned as one until Partition in 1921, when legislation in N. Ireland required them to split into two separate functions (thus the timber partition).

Primary Sources:
1. Meade Estate: A Map of the Town of Rathfriland (1776) Now in Norfolk and Norwich Record Office.
2. PRONI 1834 Valuation town map (1:1760), VAL 1D/3/3.
3. PRONI 1835 First Valuation book, VAL 1B/ 358B, p.42.
4. PRONI c.1862 Second Valuation book, VAL 2B/3/60B, p.26.
5. PRONI: Valuation revision books, VAL 12B/22/20F, p.162; /20E, p.36.

Secondary Sources:
1. Information from owner in 1999.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

This building is well detailed and has a very attractive 19thC shopfront. The plan and much of the interior is original and the building shows historical development from two to three storeys. Along with the yard and outbuildings, it forms an important group and prominent position reflects its former importance in the life of the town.