6 Trevor Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Right hand of a pair of three storey (plus basement) houses in classical revival style, symmetrically arranged about a central coach arch fronting east side of Trevor Hill; this building is three windows/ two bays wide.

Pitched roof has natural slates with three modern skylights to each pitch. Cement render chimney with projecting cap to right gable. Gutter behind cornice of facade feeds plastic down pipe at right. White plastic rainwater goods to rear.

Walls to main façade are painted lined render with plain double cill course to first floor, single course to second floor and plain double cornice course to eaves. External passage in front of basement. Main entrance is at ground floor left up five granite steps. Door opening is segmental headed with painted ashlar granite jambs and voussoirs (with raised keystone). There is a modern brass plaque on right jamb. Front door is painted timber with six raised and fielded bolection moulded panels fitted with modern furniture. Encased by pair of granite Doric demi-columns supporting a moulded granite entablature. Over the entablature is a segmental fanlight with leaded spider-web tracery. To right are two 6/6 sliding sash windows with horns bracketed cills and moulded stucco architraves. Basement has two 3/3 sliding sash windows and painted granite cills (with modern fixed security bars) in line with ground floor windows. At left end of basement passage, on right cheek below front steps, is a modern t+g timber door with ventilation slit at left. Basement passage is paved with quarry tiles. At first floor are three 6/6 sliding sashes with horns in line with ground floor openings; they have similar architraves to ground floor, but with an additional frieze and projecting cornice. Security alarm box between first and second windows from left. At second floor are three 3/6 sliding sash windows with horns and moulded architraves, but diminished in height.

Right gable has plain unpainted cement render with security alarm box at first floor level. Left gable is party wall with adjacent property.

Wall to rear elevation is cement rendered. All windows are sliding sash (replacements). At ground floor extreme left is a small 2/2 casement. To left is a large 6/6 sliding sash window and at right is a sheeted door with sidelights. To right between ground and first floors is a semicircular headed 6/6 half landing window and same above between first second floors. There is a single 6/6 sliding sash to first floor (in line with window below). At second floor is 6/3, in line with first floor window but diminished in height. Rear yard is enclosed by high rubble stone wall (part rendered) to no. 5 and rear building to no.7.

Basement and front steps are enclosed by plain spiked original railings; these have urn topped posts to the bottom of the steps and a boot scraper inset to left of front door.

Historical information

Trevor Hill was laid out in the late 18thC and developed in the first years of the 19thC. This property is shown on the 1835 OS map and described in the 1838 valuation as a dwelling house occupied by a Mr Mathew Fletcher. It was taken over by the Belfast Banking Company sometime before 1863, probably with manager’s house on the upper floors. The bank moved to new premises at 2-3 Trevor Hill (HB 16/28/011) in the early 1890s. The Newry Loan Company (an early Credit Union?) then took up occupation. The 1894 photograph shows this building as it is today (at left) and the new premises of the Belfast Banking Company (at centre).

Primary sources:
1. OS map, 1835 edition, PRONI - OS 9/15/1/1
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1B/389, p.51 (1838 valuation).
3. Photograph no1174 (1894) in Lawrence Collection.
4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 2B/3/69G, p.57 (1863 valuation).
5. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 12B/22/16A, p77 (valuation revision).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Right hand of a pair of three storey (plus basement) painted rendered house. Refined classical townhouse retaining most original external features. Important not just for the composition with no.7, but to Trevor Hill as a whole.