Jonesborough Primary School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A much-altered symmetrical 19thC single-storey school aligned NE-SW along the Jonesborough Village Road.

Hipped natural slate roof with central gablet to front pitch. Slightly advanced eaves course supports half-round cast-iron rainwater goods.

Principal elevation faces NW. Walls are wet cement-dashed and painted with advanced smooth rendered and painted basecourse; corners have a smooth rendered and painted band. All windows are modern landscape uPVC casements with painted concrete cills.

The central section advances slightly and is flanked by a smooth cement rendered and painted half-engaged pier to each corner; to centre is a three-quarter engaged column with moulded head and square plinth. Immediately behind is a partition wall separating recessed section into two; each with a window and stone flagged threshold. Set in gablet apex is a slate plaque reading “JONESBOROUGH/ NATIONAL SCHOOL/ AD1845”.

Left and right gables are blank.

The rear elevation has a central single-storey return, detailed as main block with pitched natural slate roof. The exposed section has two windows to W end. Each face of the return formerly contained a girls’ and boys’ entrance; however that to the left (NW) face has been blocked up and finished as main block and that to the right has a pair of modern glazed timber doors. This return now forms a link with a similarly scaled and detailed modern extension (of no interest). Towards the E end of the rear elevation of the main block is a second link block with a window in exposed right end. The link block has a flat roof and two small windows to E elevation.

Setting

The school is set back from the main road and enclosed by a cement-rendered wall with modern railings and gates supported on granite piers with chamfered copings. The schoolyard is tarmacadam and to rear are a number of school portacabins.

Historical information

Datestone attests to the original school’s opening in 1845. However, nothing is shown at this particular location on the 1861 OS map, so it must have been elsewhere in the village. A school is shown at this location on the 1907 map. The front building is probably of early 20th century date, and incorporates the datestone from the earlier school.

Primary sources:
1. Datestone.
2. OS 6” map, 2nd edition, Co Armagh sheet 32 (PRONI OS 6/2/32/2).
3. OS 6” map, 3rd edition, Co Armagh sheet 32 (PRONI OS 6/2/32/3).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A much-altered symmetrical single-storey school with 1845 date stone. It has been refurbished internally and it is not of special architectural or historic interest.