19-27 Lower Catherine Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A terrace of five three-storey/ two-bay red brick houses fronting the east side of Lower Catherine Street at its north end.

Continuous pitched natural slate roof (chimneys described below). Rainwater goods supported by projecting eaves resting on corbelled yellow brick brackets. Eaves line broken at front by gablets over each pair of second floor windows.

All ground floor walls are clad or rendered (see below). A projecting granite string course runs between the ground and first floor, and forms window cills to the latter. Upper floors of red brick with decorative courses of differently coloured brick across the entire facade. These comprise: (1) alternate black and yellow triangles sandwiched between a row of black brick above and yellow brick below which runs around and between the first floor window heads; (2) two rows of black brick between which are yellow brick inserts forming a 'quatrefoil' design, all running below the second floor window cills; (3) line of black brick under eaves brackets. Each gablet is also characterised by its own geometric design in red, black and yellow brick or tiles. Quoins of end houses (nos 27 and 19) of stepped yellow brick.

All the upper floor window openings have chamfered jambs of stepped yellow brick, segmental heads of alternating yellow and red brick, and granite cills. The windows on the top floor are diminished.

The houses have been altered to some degree, as described below (from left to right):

No 27 and 25.

These have been refurbished as one property. Modern metal rainwater goods. Ground floor facades now faced with thin rectangular slabs of cut granite. Projecting letters across top read "Casey & Casey Solicitors". There is a modern door at left and three new window openings, all with plastic windows, have been inserted to right. At first and second floors, each house has a pair of plastic replacement windows set into original openings. No chimneys to front pitch. Both gablets retain their original fretted timber barge boards.

Left gable is cement wet dashed, blank with plain bargeboards. Gabled two-storey asbestos slated returns to both properties, sharing party wall. All walls cement rendered with modern replacement windows.

No 23

Metal rainwater goods. The ground floor is cement rendered. There is a modern door at right with plainly glazed segmental headed transom light above. Head of door opening has scroll consoles supporting moulded entablature with pole moulded jambs. To its left, the original window opening has been altered to take a wider three-paned timber casement window. The paired window openings on first and second floors are as houses 1 and 2 but still retain their 2/2 sliding sashes (with vertical glazing bars and segmental headed frames). Modern brick chimney at left, on front roof pitch. Plain barge boards to gablet.

Walls cement rendered. Modern window to ground floor and single 6/6 sliding sash window to each upper floor. Two-storey cement-rendered return at left of rear elevation, sharing party wall with similar return to no 21. Original chimney in corner at gable end, but modern replacement windows.

No 21

This house is the mirror image of house 4 in terms of its window and door openings. Cyma recta rainwater goods. Ground floor facade also cement rendered. Modern door to left with segmental headed transom light above. Original segmental-headed window opening at right with modern PVC window. Projecting plastic sign above. Upper floor windows all modern plastic replacements. At right of front roof pitch is an original chimney shared with no 19. This is in red brick with battered base and decorated with two bands of yellow brick at top and bottom, and with cement rendered copings. There is an identical chimney on back pitch of roof. Plain barge boards to gablet.

Rear elevation has two-storey return at right (sharing party wall with return of no 21). Rainwater goods over moulded brackets along eaves. Cement rendered walls. Original chimney in corner of gable end. Extensive alterations, with first floor balcony and plastic windows.

No 19

Cyma recta rainwater goods. Ground floor facade cement rendered. Door at right infilled with concrete blocks. Wall openings as no 21, but all window openings infilled with concrete blocks as house vacant. Shares chimney with no 21. Gablet retains portion of its fretted timber barge boards.

Right gable abuts lower building. Exposed section slate hung on either side of abutted chimney.

Skylight to rear pitch of roof. Rainwater goods over moulded brackets along eaves. Rear wall is of random rubble granite with brick eaves course and reveals. Granite cills to window openings, of which there is one to each floor. Two-storey return at left has a gabled roof and small chimney on corner at gable end. Yard facing wall of return has door and window on ground floor, and window on first floor; also first floor window in gable. All openings now infilled.

Historical information

Nos 19, 21 and 23 are first cited in the Valuation Revision book of 1883, and are first occupied in this and the following year. Nos 25 and 27 first appear in 1886, and are occupied the following year. The owner is given as John O’Hare who also developed the adjoining terrace (nos 1-17; HB16/28/067) in the 1870s.

Primary Sources:

1.Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI – VAL 12B/15/1E, p.298.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A terrace of five three-storey/ two-bay red brick houses. These buildings are of some interest because of the extensive use of polychromatic brick. They also reflect the systematic development of Lower Catherine Street in the later 19th century.