12 John Mitchel Place

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey (+ attic) building of granite rubble fronting directly on to east side of street. Steep natural slate gabled roof with two traditional cast iron roof lights to street and one at left on rear pitch. Large cement rendered chimney with twelve pots to left gable and a stump to right gable. Ogee granite cornice with lead-flashed parapet gutter (with rendered fascia) at front. Walls of granite rubble brought to courses, with some snecking.

Ground floor wall of street façade is smooth rendered. At ground floor right is a semi-elliptical arch with rendered jambs and head, the latter with imposts and raised keystone; its right jamb is shared with the coach arch of the adjoining building. Contains modern door with cilled sidelights and plain elliptical transom. At left on this wall is a modern door with plain rectangular transom light. Between these two doors are two 1/1 top opening windows with granite cills. At first floor are four equally spaced 1/1 sliding sash windows, all with three-piece keystoned lintels and granite cills. There are identical, but diminished height windows in line above, all with flat timber heads. All upper floor windows have exposed sash boxes, brought almost flush with external wall. The window frames are now in poor condition and the openings are infilled on the inside with concrete blocks.

The rear wall is rendered and painted. Inaccessibility precluded ground floor inspection. The upper floors are four windows wide, with stairwell landing lights in the second opening from left. There is a 6/6 sliding sash landing light between ground and first floors, and another between first and second floors. Between second and attic a floor is a 6/3 sash. The room windows are 6/6 sliding sash at first floor, and 6/3 at second floor. All rear windows have exposed boxes and granite cills.

Both gables are abutted by buildings on either side.

Historical information

Shown on 1835 OS map. Occupied in 1835 by Hugh Kidd. Described in 1863 valuation as three and a quarter storeys high.

Primary Sources:

1. OS 6" map, 3rd edition PRONI OS 9/15/1/3.
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1B.389, pp 40.
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 2B/3/69H, p.129.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Three storey (+ attic) building in granite rubble of early date but not of special architectural or historic interest. The Conservation Area is an appropriate level of protection.