Edward Street House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A three-storey/ three-bay symmetrical house fronting the south side of Edward St. It is set in a terrace and abutted by buildings on both sides.

The gabled roof, which follows the line of the adjoining warehouse at east (HB 16/28/20), has artificial slates at front, two cement-rendered chimneys (one on each gable), and metal rainwater goods (down pipe at left). The walls are of coursed random granite rubble, now repointed flush with cement mortar.

The entrance from street is central to the main facade. The painted timber door has nine panels, three of which contain two letterboxes each; black metal doorknob at centre. It is flanked by sidelights, each with three horizontally divided panes of wired-glass, and a semicircular cobweb fanlight above. Over the latter is a painted ashlar granite voussoired arch which continues horizontally at spring level over the side lights.

There are painted granite cills to all window openings and cement rendered reveals. The windows to ground and first floors are identical and comprise 1/1 top-hung casement uPVC windows. There are two such windows equally spaced on either side of the door, and five windows on the first floor, in line with the ground floor openings. There are five PVC windows on the second floor, also in line with those below. They are smaller in height and wider than the others and comprise single rectangular panes with two top opening transoms. Electricity cables run across the facade on a timber fascia just below second floor cill level.

Both gables are abutted by buildings on either side.

The rear pitch of the roof has natural slates and plastic rainwater goods. Abutting at centre is a shallow three storey return. The walls are cement rendered with plastic top-hung windows and concrete cills throughout - two on each floor at left and at right of return. Judging by the adjoining buildings in yard, this render is probably over random granite rubble.

The return, which contains the stairwell, has a gabled artificial slate roof and cement rendered walls. It has an entrance door on its ground floor gable, and a 1/1 top hung window on each floor above.

Historical information

This building is shown on the c.1838 Valuation map and is cited in the First Valuation book, also c.1838, as belonging to Denis Maguire, owner of the Newry Distillery (Monaghan Street) though the Archaeological Survey suggests a construction date of c.1770, its similarity to the adjoining warehouse (HB16/28/020) in terms of its construction, height and absence of wall break along the street frontage suggests that the two buildings were probably built around the same time, ie 1784 (the attested date of the warehouse). By the 1863 Valuation it and the adjoining warehouse complex (10 Edward Street) were in common ownership, and remained so until 1883.

Primary Sources:

1. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI – VAL 1B/ 246A, p.76.
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1D/3/8E.
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI -VAL 2B/2/39B, p.57.
4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - Val 12B/15/1C, p.281.
5. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 12B/22/18A-D.

Secondary Sources:

1. M. Jope (ed), 1966, ‘Archaeological Survey of County Down’, p.428 (entry 417.28) (Belfast: HMSO).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A three-storey/ three-bay symmetrical house. This house has been significantly altered and although it retains some original features, it has changed too much to be regarded as of special quality.