19 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 bottom one. 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 (formerly also with basement) and three bays wide. It is at the same height as no.17.

Rendered chimney at right (shared with no.17). Half-round metal gutter, with down pipe at left.

At centre of street elevation is a modern four-panel painted timber door with rectangular transom light above. Its flat-headed opening has splayed voussoirs in ashlar granite (with projecting keystone and imposts) and vee-jointed ashlar jambs. At left is a coach arch, also with vee-jointed ashlar jambs and semi-elliptical head (with imposts and projecting keystone). This opening contains a pair of modern metal gates. At right on this elevation is a semi-elliptical headed window opening, with a surround identical to the coach arch. It contains a smaller rectangular 6/6 sliding sash window; the space between its frame and arch reveal is cement rendered. Directly below, the in-splayed flat granite lintel of the former basement is just visible.

At first floor are three 6/6 sliding sash windows, one over each opening below. There is a projecting hanging sign between the two windows at left. At second floor are three 3/3 sliding sash windows, also in line. All windows have granite cills. Those to the upper floors have cement-rendered heads and stepped jambs (undoubtedly over brick). The first floor openings also have three-piece keystoned lintels above their rendered heads.

Reproduction metal railings (over a chamfered granite plinth and with urn-topped posts) run along the small garden at the front of the house, returning along the exposed side of entrance steps. There is also a similar railing and plinth between the coach arch and front door. Similar railings front the other houses in this terrace and also the corner block fronting John Mitchel Place (HB 16/30/005).

This building is abutted at left by the outbuildings of 21 St Colman’s Park (HB 16/30/005a), and at right by no.17.

At rear, the walls are unrendered and have half-round metal rainwater goods. A one-storey extension abuts the ground floor on its left two bays, thus obscuring the original openings; the coach arch, here brick headed, is at right. The left and right bays have 6/6 sliding sash windows on first floor, and 3/3 sashes at second floor. The middle bay has a 6/6 sash on half landing between ground and first floor and 6/6 sash on half landing between first and second floors. All are brick trimmed. Many of the upper floor windows have three-piece keystoned lintels above their brick heads.

The modern extension has a flat roof, rendered walls and modern window to back wall.

At the rear of the back yard is a two-storey outbuilding contiguous with one at the back of no.1`7. It has a hipped asbestos slate roof, plastic rainwater goods and random rubble granite walls. The north wall is blank, and the right gable is abutted by a similar building. The yard elevation has a large rectangular opening at ground floor, filled by a 15-pane door, and with a 15-pane side panel on either side. At first floor right is a 3/3 sliding sash window. The left gable of this building is abutted by a one-storey flat-roofed extension, with two 3/3 sliding sash windows to yard elevation.

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.

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

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Three storey (+ basement)/three 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 (HB 16/30/005A).