24 Downpatrick Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A three-storey house with garage shop to ground floor, set in a terrace on E side of Downpatrick St.

Pitched natural slate roof with coped cement-rendered chimney to each gable. Half-round plastic gutters to cast-iron downpipe at left on street facade.

Main elevation faces south to street. Painted and lined smooth cement-rendered wall with cill course to first and second floors. At left is a painted t+g sheeted vehicular door into passage leading to garage/yard at rear of premises. Remainder of G/F comprises a symmetrical shop front set behind the frontage. Partly glazed timber door to centre with plain rectangular transom over. Flanked to each side by a horizontally-divided picture window. A timber facia runs across: 'Garage' at left and 'Service' to right in wooden lettering. The section across the actual shop is supported at either side of the entrance by a painted cast-iron column with founder's mark: 'The Millfield Foundry Belfast'. Remains of cantilevered petrol pump pipe to each side of frontage. First floor has three equally spaced windows, all 1/2 top-hung casements (left one boarded over). Top floor also has three window semicircular headed openings, in line with those below but diminished in height. Each opening contains a pair of casements with semicircular transom over.

Left gable abutted by a taller building.

Rear elevation abutted by later additions.

Right gable abutted by a lower building. Exposed section blank.

Large double-pile garage to rear. Roofs are of corrugated metal over timber rafters but no structural features of special interest.

Historical information

This house first appears in a Valuation revision book entry of 1891, having replaced an earlier house. Robert Stevenson is first recorded in 1905 and his shop and workshops in 1914. The family ran a bus service and garage at this premsises (Stevenson’s & Son Automobile Engineers). The business was established by the owner's grandfather Robert Stevenson, an agricultural engineer. Robert's son, Fred, was agent for Blackstone engines which were distributed from this premises. The garage closed in early 1980s.

An early photograph in “The Outlook” shows all windows to have been 2/2 sliding sashes.

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI Valuation revision books, VAL 12B/3/60C, p.20D, p.103; /20F, p.103; /20G, p.240).

Secondary sources:
1. Owner in 1999.
2. “The Outlook” (local newspaper) 30/03/1973.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This premises was of significance to the local community in terms of the retailing and servicing of agricultural machinery and in terms of transportation.