McMallons

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A much altered two storey, two bay vernacular house with two storey outbuilding to right gable, and single storey outbuilding to left gable. It is aligned N/S on a lane off Drumintee Rd.

Pitched natural slate roof with tile skews. There are two modern red brick chimneys to the main block– one to left gable and one between house and outbuilding. Half round plastic rainwater goods. All walls are painted lime render with contrasting base course.

Principal elevation faces E

1. Main block.

Each bay has a window to each floor. All are modern top-hung casements with painted granite cills. Set to the right of the left bay is a windbreak porch. It has a monopitched natural slate roof (some with curved ends). Front face has a modern timber door with glazed top panel. Right and left cheeks are blank.

The left gable is blank and abutted by a single storey outbuilding (see later) the exposed section is blank.

Rear elevation is abutted at right by a lower annex. The exposed section to left has a window to ground floor (as those to façade). First floor has a window to left of right bay; it is a single fixed-paned window with its head is at eaves level. Annex has a monopitched corrugated asbestos roof. Walls are rendered and painted. Main (W) face has a large 6/6 metal framed sliding sash. Its left cheek contains a modern timber door. Its right cheek is blank.

2. Outbuilding to right gable has a central t+g door to each floor. Its right gable is abutted by a lower single-storey lean-to (see later); the exposed section is blank. Rear elevation is completely abutted by two similarly detailed lean-to outbuildings. Both are single-storey with a set of nine granite steps rising between and leading to a t+g sheeted loading door at upper level. Each lean-to has whitewashed rubble stone walls. Right lean-to is L-shaped with a corrugated metal roof and concrete skews. Its W face has a t+g sheeted door to left and a small window opening to right. Its N face has a door opening to left and a tiny fixed pane window to right. Remaining cheeks are blank. Left lean-to has a fixed pane window to centre of W face, and a t+g door to left (N) cheek.

The lower single-storey lean-to (detailed as others) has a t+g sheeted door to E face. All other faces are blank.

3.Outbuilding to left gable is detailed as house with a brick chimney to left gable. Façade has a t+g sheeted door set to right; to its left is a 1/1 fixed paned window with no cill. It left gable is abutted by a lower monopitched garage, of no interest. The exposed section is blank. Rear elevation has a single top-hung casement window to centre.

Setting:

House is set back off the Drumintee Road with asphalt area to front and small garden to rear. Garden has cast iron water pump with a flag maker’s mark.

Historical information

Although a building is shown here on the 1835 and 1861 OS maps, it is not to the same alignment as the present one, which is first shown on the 1906-07 edition. A house on this plot is described as vacant and dilapidated in the 1862 Valuation. Its valuation increases from 10s to £1.5s.0d in 1885. Outbuildings added in 1907 raise its valuation to £2. In its present form, this building would therefore appear to date from the mid 1880s.

Primary sources:
1. First edition OS 6" map, Co Armagh sheet 29, 1835 (PRONI - OS 6/2/29/1).
2. Second edition OS 6" map, Co Armagh sheet 29, 1861 (PRONI - OS 6/2/29/2).
3. Second Valuation book, 1862 (PRONI - VAL 2B/2/37F, p.21).
4. Valuation Revision book, 1885 (PRONI - VAL 12B/15/17B, p.51).
5. Valuation Revision book, 1907 (PRONI - VAL 12B/15/17C, p.110).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This extended out vernacular house with outbuildings forms a pleasant roadside group, and although some original details have been lost it remains an attractive building. A well preserved vernacular cottage house which whilst it has lost some interior detail it is nevertheless a good example of the genre.

General comments

**Under consideration : awaiting additional information** 30th March 2004