11 St. Colman’s Park

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One of seven buildings in a terrace which slopes down St. Colman’s Park, this building being the third from the top end. All these houses are of identical construction, with pitched natural slate roofs and squared rubble granite walls brought to courses. This building is three storeys high (+ basement) and two bays wide. It is at the same height as no.9 and rises slightly above no.13.

There is a rendered chimney on its left party wall, and plastic gutters which share a metal down pipe with nos 9 and 7. At right is a six-panel painted timber door. This is a modern replacement, without transom light above. Its brick jambs and head are cement rendered, with a moulded architrave around. At top of jambs are scrolled consoles supporting a projecting entablature. Boot scraper to right of door.

To left of door is an 8/8 sliding sash window and a modern top-hung basement window underneath. The basement walls have been rendered. At first floor are two 6/6 sliding sash windows in line with ground floor openings. At second floor are three smaller 3/3 sash windows. All the windows have granite cills, and cement-rendered heads and stepped jambs (over brick). There are three-piece keystoned lintels above the ground and first floor window heads.

Wrought iron railings (over a chamfered granite plinth and with cast-iron urn-topped posts) run along the top of the basement passage at front of house, returning along the exposed side of entrance. Similar railings front the other houses in this terrace and also the corner block fronting John Mitchel Place (HB 16/30/005A&B).

The left and right gables are abutted by similar buildings. The exposed section of the left gable is cement rendered.

At rear, the walls are cement rendered throughout and have half-round metal rainwater goods. There is an external passage to the basement, which has a modern 1/1 top-hung window. Above is a modern three-pane window to ground floor, 6/6 sliding sash to first floor, and 3/3 sash to top floor. At left is a modern door at the position of the former window on half-landing between ground and first floor. This leads out to a reinforced-concrete balcony, from which concrete steps lead down to yard. There is also a modern glazed and sheeted door to the basement. At half landing between first and second floor is a 6/6 sash window.

Outbuilding

Along the back of the premises, a two-storey outbuilding block forms part of a continuous block running the length of the terrace. It has a natural slate pitched gable roof and rubble granite walls brought to courses. Rainwater goods missing. At left of ground floor on the elevation facing out (ie to north), is a semi-elliptically headed coach arch, with rendered head and jambs, and containing a vertically- sheeted timber door. Above is a sheeted timber loading door. At right on both floors are small ventilation slits, now infilled. No access to elevation facing into yard.

Historical information

Shown on 1835 OS map as McAllister’s Terrace; this also included nos 1, 3 and 5 (above no.7), all now demolished. Noted in 1835 valuation as belonging to James McAllister (who also owned HB 16/30/005A&B), but unfinished. This implies still in course of construction, but probably completed shortly thereafter.

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 40-1.
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 2B/3/69H, p.131.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Three storey (+ basement)/two bay granite house in a terrace on St Colman’s Park. The street façade is of considerable architectural merit, being set within a cohesive terrace which forms one side of the square. The building is also of some historical interest as an example of mid-19th century town planning initiated by James McAllister. He also erected the block at the corner with John Mitchel Place (HB16/30/005A&B).