Jonesborough House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An early 18thC symmetrical two-storey/ three-bay house with single-storey/ one bay wings, aligned NE-SW along the Jonesborough Village Road.

Pitched natural slate roof with four chimneys – one cement dashed chimney to each gable of main block and one whitewashed cement-rendered chimney to the end gable of each wing; that to right wing has been rebuilt in concrete blocks. Slightly advanced eaves course throughout. Moulded stone kneelers to wings. Dressed granite verge to front pitch of left wing. No rainwater goods. Walls are whitewashed and lime-rendered over random rubble.

Principal elevation faces NW. To centre is a fine painted stone doorcase with a broken-bed pediment supported on three-quarter engaged Tuscan columns raised on plinth blocks. It contains a modern glazed timber door with radial timber fanlight over, and is accessed by four granite steps which are flanked to each side by a decorative cast-iron boot scraper. To each bay on either side of the doorcase are two 4/4 exposed box sliding sashes with horns. Aligned above ground floor openings are five equally spaced windows; those to left and central bay are 1/1 sliding sashes, those to right bay are 1/1 top-hung casements. All windows to façade have painted reveals and granite cills (unless otherwise stated). Left wing has two modern 1/1 fixed-pane windows. Right wing has a 4/4 sliding sash (as before) to left and a modern timber door to right.

The exposed left gable of the main block is blank. The left gable of the wing has an advanced chimneybreast to centre and a modern timber casement window to its left (with concrete cill).

Rear elevation is abutted to right by a modern single-storey porch (see later). Left wing has a casement window with cement cill set to left and a modern panelled timber door to right. The left bay of the main block has a window to each floor; that to ground floor has been altered and has a cement cill. Centre bay has a window set between each floor. All are top-hung casement windows. Right bay has a 2/2 exposed box sliding sash window (with horns and no cill) to first floor. Right wing is abutted to left by the porch; the exposed section is blank.

The porch has a monopitched natural slate roof with boxed timber eaves and cement rendered walls. Front face has two modern windows (that to left is wider). Its left cheek is blank and the right cheek has a modern glazed timber door.

Right gable of both main block and wing are blank Wing gable has an advanced chimneybreast.

Setting:

The house is set back from the road with a small garden to front enclosed by a lime-rendered rubble stone wall with fieldstone coping. To centre is a pair of square-in-section whitewashed brick gate piers with cement rendered pyramidal copings supporting a cast-iron gate. A short path leads to the front door. To rear is a yard now used as a petrol filling station (which detracts from its
setting).

Historical information

This house was built for Colonel Morris Jones, a Welshman who obtained land in this area around 1750. It is cited in the First Valuation book of 1836 as measuring 41ft x 24ft 6in x 18ft, with two wings - one 12ft 6in x 24ft 6in x 13ft and the other 12ft x 24ft 6in x 11ft 6in. Its valuation drops from £10 to £6 in 1894 on account of the house being “very much dilapidated”.

The servants’ quarters were in the left wing and the kitchen in the right wing. According to McAleenan and Crilly (quoted by Brett), “the walls were constructed in layers of mortar and wood with turf in the middle and the ceilings contain many fine oak beams which run the length of the house”.

Primary sources:
1. First Valuation book, 1836 (PRONI VAL 1B/243, p.39).
2. Valuation Revision book, 1894 (PRONI VAL 12B/15/15B, p.145).

Secondary sources:
1. C E B Brett, ‘Buildings of Co Armagh’, p.145 (Belfast 1999).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A prominently sited early 18thC symmetrical two-storey/ three-bay house with single-storey/ one bay wings with an elegant stone doorcase. It remains largely original and is of an unusual construction.