49 Scarva Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical three-bay two-storey mid-Victorian detached house, built c.1915 to designs by William Wright Larmor and located east of Scarva Street at the junction of Old Newry Road in Loughbrickland. Rectangular plan with two-storey flat-roof extension and projecting porch to rear.

Hipped natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and finials; red-brick chimneystacks. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on projecting timber-sheeted eaves. Walling is painted smooth render with raised quoins on a chamfered plinth. Windows are 6/6 timber sliding sash with horns and projecting painted masonry sills unless otherwise stated.

The principal elevation faces south-west and is three openings wide to each floor. To centre at ground floor is a raised-and-fielded four panel timber door with brass door furniture, accessed via a single stone step; surmounted by a square-headed overlight and flanked by panelled pilasters with entassis having entablature and cornice.

The north-west elevation has three windows to first floor (that to right is more widely spaced). Two replacement timber casement windows to ground floor left; multi-paned bow window with slated canopy to ground floor right.

The north-east (rear) elevation is abutted at right by a two-storey flat-roof extension; window to right of centre at first and ground floor. To left at ground floor is a lean-to canopy over extension with a modern timber-sheeted door to centre, two narrow windows to left and an open porch to right; right cheek abutted by two storey return; left cheek has a timber sheeted door.
Two storey extension abutted by a single storey lean-to out-building remainder blank; left cheek has a door to ground floor left, remainder blank; right cheek has half glazed door with square-headed overlight to right with diminutive window over.

The south-east elevation is three windows wide to first floor (that to left is more widely spaced). Window to ground floor left and multi-paned bow window with slated canopy to ground floor right.

Setting

Set on large mature grounds to the east side of Scarva Street at the junction with Old Newry Road in Loughbrickland. Lawned to front with gravelled driveway accessed via roughcast rendered squared piers with caps supporting cast-iron gates. Lawned to front and bounded to road by a roughcast rendered wall with coping stones, mature trees and hedgerow. Bounded to north by modern timber fence. Paved courtyard and modern dwelling to rear; the dwelling shares access with number 49.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Render
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The house was built as a medical officer’s residence and dispensary in 1914 to designs by William Wright Larmor.

The house is first shown on the fourth edition OS map of 1903-18 and enters valuation records in 1914 as a house, offices and land of around an acre, with buildings valued at £18.10s and £3 for the dispensary. The land had been purchased for the purpose by Banbridge Board of Guardians and the first doctor to occupy the premises was Dr Samuel F Lusk in 1916. Lusk remained resident until 1946 and was followed by Dr Maurice Stanislaus McEnaney.

The architect was William Wright Larmor and the expected cost in 1912 was £1,200. (Irish Builder) Larmor was assistant county surveyor for County Down and engineer to Banbridge Rural District Council from the 1900s until his retirement in 1934. He was responsible for several manses in the Banbridge area and also designed a second Medical Officer’s Residence in Banbridge at the same period. (www.dia.ie) Larmor submitted plans to a meeting of Banbridge Board of Guardians in September 1911 and tenders were being received by November 1912. Valuation records suggest the house had been completed by 1914.

At the time of the First General Revaluation in the early 1930s the house was revalued at £32 and remained the residence of the dispensary medical officer, Samuel Lusk. The accommodation comprised three receptions, a kitchen, scullery, pantry, four bedrooms, a surgery, boxroom and bathroom with hot and cold water and WC. The house had electric light but water was supplied from a pump. The plan and dimensions of the building show the house, with coal house and lavatory to the rear and a garage and stores. A glass vine house and tennis courts are shown in the garden. The dispensary occupied part of the ground floor of the house and was accessed through a side door on the south facade (still present). Lusk paid a rent of £20 plus taxes and the valuer commented that the house was ‘in good repair with good finish’.

However, outbuildings to the rear have been converted into a bungalow and bow windows have been added to the north and south facades. The house continues in use as a dwelling.

References:
Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/34/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/34/2 Second Edition OS map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/34/3 Third Edition OS Map 1902-3
4. PRONI OS/6/3/34/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/18A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1930)
6. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2 First General Revaluation (1936-57)
7. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/H/2 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
8. Irish Builder 2nd March 1912
9. Irish Builder 9th November 1912

Secondary Sources
1. www.dia.i.e.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A symmetrical three-bay two-storey neo-Georgian detached house, built c.1915 to designs by William Wright Larmor. The original proportions and much of the exterior detailing is intact, however, extensions and alterations detract somewhat from its character. A modern house has been constructed to the rear of the property. Although of a late date, it is a good example of neo-Georgian and Georgian revival from the period and of strong character,