42 Hill Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey (+ attic) granite and faience building with Classical Revival frontage, on the west side of Hill Street opposite the Cathedral of St. Patrick and St Colman.

Roof is pitched and natural slated with a string coursed and cornice faience chimney to the right gable. In the centre of the front pitch is a flat lead roofed dormer with two 2/3 paned timber casements. On each end of façade, rising from wall head, are gable dormers. Broad parapet gutter with cast metal downpipes falling to left and right of façade.

The ground floor of façade is executed in very smooth ashlar granite polished at doorcase jambs. The upper floors are executed in golden coloured faience-ware. Façade is symmetrical with the exception of the door to ground floor and the chimney.

Ground floor consists of a doorway on left and four equally spaced openings to its right. Doorway consists of a pair of timber doors, above which is an oval timber transom. Transom has square glazing panes with a circular central pivoting section. The transom and door are set within a deep ashlar granite door surround. The transom architrave is egg and dart moulded with projecting keystones at cardinal points. The spandrels are panelled. Rising up each side of the door and transom is a band-rusticated pier. Attached halfway up each pier is a tapering pilaster resting on a corbel and rising to door head level. Here a moulded bracket projects, supporting a deep broken pediment, which creates a canopy over the transom. The pediment is dentilled with a panelled underside. On each pitch of pediment an ashlar granite wall rises to create a flat-headed parapet just below first floor level.

To the right of the door are four 2/2 fixed pane timber windows. Between each is a tapering ionic demi-column, which rises from a square base at ground level, and supports a fascia above. To the right of the right window an Ionic pilaster of similar detailing rises to fascia. Below each window is a decorative panelled stall-riser. Window at right end accommodates an ATM. The frieze, which is supported by the Demi-columns, has modern plastic lettering attached. The fascia runs over the windows only, is level with the parapet over the door and has a dentilled cornice separating it from first floor level.

First floor consists of five equally spaced 1/1 sliding sash windows with horns. The wall to the centre of the façade is slightly recessed and contains three of the windows. Each end of the façade contains a window; which is set within a concave reveal tympanum above. Walls are horizontally channelled, tapering to demarcate voussoirs.

To first floor the walls to the central recessed panel are smooth. Window has moulded architraves and raised ears to head and cill. Each head has a raised keystone, which supports a cushion-moulded block. Resting on each block is a cornice, which runs across the recessed section of the façade and projects slightly over each cushion mould. The walls to the outer section are band-rusticated.

There are five windows to second floor, central three in the recessed central panel. All are in line with those below, but diminished in height. Each of the three central windows has a moulded architrave, on a raised surround with bracketed moulded cill. Resting on the head of each surround is a cyma-recta cornice on a raised base, which runs the full width of façade. The windows to each end of façade are identical to the central ones, however, each window is flanked by panelled pilasters each resting on individual corbels, which project from either side of the window head of the windows below. The pilaster continues to eaves level, being crossed by the moulded stringcourse.

At parapet level the central portion of the façade is still recessed and consists of a dentilled, moulded cornice (which runs the full length of façade) and supports a balustraded open parapet. There are three lengths of balustrading. Between each is a recessed, panelled plinth. All are topped by a moulded baluster rail. On each side of the façade, with plinth blocks (as those to balustrade) resting on the cornice, are broken pedimented gable dormers. Set into pediment is a circular window with a 3/3 glazing pattern. Each roundel has a raised moulded reveal and a projecting keystone at cardinal points. The roundel head breaks the moulded base of the gable pediment.

REAR ELEVATION

Rear elevation is now abutted to first floor by a modern rear return extending to The Mall and replacing HB16/28/76.

Roof is pitched to rear with a hipped return roof to left and a flat lead roofed return to right. Also on right is a four windowed 2/4 casement dormer with flat lead roof and slated sides and cheek. Single modern skylight to left of main roof. There is a chimney base on left gable in brick. Rainwater goods are cast iron.

Walls are red brick with a hipped roof return projecting to left and flat roofed return to right. Between the two is a return at first floor with slated lean-to roof rising to cill level of second floor. At first floor to left is a modern escape door with side lights, and to right is a fixed timber window. To second floor there are two 1/1 sliding sashes. The right return at half landing between ground and first floors is an escape door with sidelights. To half landing between first and second floors is a pair of 1/1 sliding sashes within a single opening. Left return at first floor is a 1/1 sliding sash window with granite cill and brick head. To second floor are two 1/1 sliding sashes.

Left gable is abutted by an adjacent property, and the right gable is abutted by a lower building. The exposed section is cement rendered with chimney of neighbouring property abutting gable and rising up the Fiance chimney on right side.

Historical information

Purpose-built by Provincial Bank of Ireland on site of town Post Office and a dwelling house. Opened 1905. The company had previously been in no.38 Hill Street (HB16/28/034A). The architect may have been John Brown, Kilmorey St, Newry.

Sources:
1. OS map 1861 edition PRONI- OS 9/15/2/16 (showing Post Office).
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 12B/22/17A, p.13 (1905 valuation).

Secondary Sources:
1. Irish Builder vol.32, p117 (15 June 1890).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Three storey (+ attic) granite and faience building with Classical Revival frontage forming an elegant composition.