7 Marcus Square

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Left one of a pair of three and a half storey classical Georgian townhouses (with infilled basement) situated to west side of Marcus Square, on corner with Marcus Street.

Pitched artificial slate roof with cement rendered chimney, and projecting bargeboard to left gable. Façade has projecting eaves course with cast metal rainwater goods, and downpipe dropping to left.

Wall to street facade painted lined render; attached to which at first floor is a plaque ‘Dr Samuel / Black / Pioneer cardiologist / lived here / 1819-1932’ Set forward of the main wall at ground floor is a modern shopfront with flat roof. Its façade is made up of five windows in a mahogany frame, each has a panelled stall riser and decorated transom light. Windows are set between pilasters which support a broad modern fascia board. All are modern and of no interest. Right cheek is painted, lined cement render.

At first floor are two equally spaced 1/1 double glazed sliding sash windows with horns. To second floor are two 3/3 (vertically divided) double glazed sliding sash windows with horns, in line with openings below but diminished in height.

Left gable (to Marcus Street) is painted, lined cement render. At ground floor left is a modern door with tall nine pane fixed transom and a modern exposed roller shutter box. To right of door is a 6/6 fixed modern replacement window.

To ground floor right are two modern openings, left one is a window and right one contains a shop window and door. Both openings are roller shuttered set below a large projecting modern timber fascia. Centred at half landing level between ground and first floors is a 6/6 sliding sash window with metal security grille. On wall to right are modern individually fixed letters advertising the occupant.

Centred between first and second floors is a 6/6 sliding sash (half landing) window with no horns, directly above that on first floor. In gable at attic level is a replacement 2/2 sliding sash window with horns. All have granite cills.

Right gable forms party wall with adjoining property.

Rear elevation is abutted at ground floor by a single storey shop. Walls are unpainted render. Rendered chimney on rear slope at party wall with no 6. Two windows to first floor, two to second floor, 1/1 replacement sliding sash window with horns

Historical information

Hill Street was laid out by the Downshire family in the mid 18thC as a formal extension to the town.

Shown on 1835 OS map and valued at £31 in 1838 valuation. Dr Black, pioneering cardiologist, lived here 1819-1832. He is buried in St. Patrick’s Churchyard (HB16/28/001). Described as three and a half storeys high plus basement in 1863 valuation. The post WW2 photograph shows this building to have had a doorcase and ground floor window mirroring that to its neighbour (no.6) prior to the erection of the shop unit. This building was occupied by the Carlingford Lough Commissioners in the immediate post WW2 years.

Primary sources:

1. OS map 1835 edition, PRONI OS 9/15/1/1
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1B/389, p.47 (1838 valuation book).
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - Val 2B /3/69G, p29 (1863 valuation book).

Secondary Sources:

1. Newry Regeneration Project (1994), “Newry Town Trail”.
2. Photograph (post WW2) in the Historic Monuments Record of Northern Ireland.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Left one of a pair of three and a half storey classical Georgian townhouses with some original features surviving above ground floor level, marred by modern shopfronts and loss of basements.