10 Church Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An almost symmetrical two-storey four-bay Victorian end-terrace office, built c.1860 and located to the north side of Church Street in Banbridge town centre.

Rosemary tiled roof with rounded ridge tiles, raised stone verges and rendered chimneystacks having tall terracotta pots. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods. Walling is painted smooth render on a contrasting plinth. Windows are 2/2 timber sliding sash with horizontal glazing bars in moulded architraves.

The principal elevation faces south-west and is six openings wide to each floor. To left of centre at ground floor is a six-panelled timber door with brass door furniture and square-headed overlight, flanked by pilasters and surmounted by a corniced canopy on carved console brackets.

The north-west elevation has a window to first floor left.

The north-east (rear) elevation has asymmetrical fenestration. To right of centre is a segmental-arched leaded-and-stained glass stairwell window and modern half-glazed door to ground floor. Three windows and a diminutive window to first floor; two windows and two diminutive windows to ground floor.

The south-east elevation is abutted by adjoining building (HB17/04/010F).

Setting

Street-fronted and forming part of an early-nineteenth century terrace opposite Seapatrick Parish Church (HB17/04/001). To rear is a tarmacadamed car park shared with number 9, accessed via modern metal gates to north-west. To north-east is a mechanics garage.

Roof: Rosemary tiles
Walling: Render
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The building dates from c.1867 and was home to mill manager Robert Davidson and in 1880 to Richard Linn, a local antiquarian and author of a manuscript which, after his death, formed the basis of the first full-length history of Banbridge.

The building was constructed in 1867 as a rebuild or remodel of two previous dwellings on the site. The earlier houses on the plot are shown on the 1833 OS map and listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) at a valuation of £4 each, later reduced to £3.10s. Dimensions are given for two buildings ten feet in height. Griffith’s Valuation confirms that the two buildings were one and half storeys high, one was described as a ‘very neat little house’ lived in by a shoemaker. In 1867 the two houses were reconstructed and revalued at £15 and £16 respectively. One of the houses was occupied by Robert Davidson and the other let to a series of tenants; Mrs Murphy in 1867 and then John F Mulligan (1871) Robert Robson (1874) Joseph Davidson (1875) who died aged 84 in July 1877 (Belfast Newsletter) William Raphael (1878) and Richard Linn (1880). Richard Linn (1837-1911) was a native of Banbridge and the son of one of the Town Commissioners who took a prominent part in the affairs of the town, as a founder of the Banbridge Literary and Mutual Improvement Society in 1853, a member of the Town Council and a lieutenant in the Volunteer Fire Brigade. He was an enthusiastic antiquarian, an interest he took with him to the petroleum region of Pennsylvania where he lived between 1867 and 1874, publishing a history of petroleum. Linn lived in the present house shortly before his departure for New Zealand in 1880. Through much of his life he collected materials for a history of Banbridge, but the volume was never published in his lifetime and it was not until 1935 that his edited work appeared in print. (Linn)

The two houses were united in the valuation record in 1881 at a valuation of £31.15s and Robert Davidson is from then on the only occupier. He is listed in the 1901 census as a 65-year-old man living with his wife on the proceeds of houses and dividends. The couple kept a domestic servant from Ballymacdermot in County Armagh. The house was of the first class and had 8 rooms. In 1911 Robert Davidson describes himself as a retired mill manager and he continues to live with his wife and a servant from County Louth.

Davidson was followed by Thomas McDowell in 1923 who was living in the house at the time of the First General Revaluation in the 1930s. McDowell leased the house from the Marquess of Downshire and the buildings are revalued at £28. The accommodation comprises on the ground floor a lobby and two receptions at the front, a kitchen and scullery, deemed ‘very small for size of house’ and a pantry cupboard. On the first floor were two large front bedrooms, one very small front bedroom and one back bedroom., together with a bath room with bath, lavatory and WC. The attic was ‘very poor and used for storage only’. The extensive outbuildings were not used. The valuer judged the house ‘badly planned’ and the kitchen arrangements ‘very poor’. The plan and dimensions show the house with numerous outbuildings used as stores, a disused byre and a glass hothouse in the garden. A right of way is shown into the yard of the neighbouring house.

References:
Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/27/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/27/2 Second Edition OS map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/27/3 Third Edition OS Map (c1900)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/27/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL /1/B/348A Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/64C Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6A-H Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/7A-C Annual Revisions (1899-1930)
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/4 First General Revaluation (1936-57)
10. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/2/A/5 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
11. PRONI Will of George Tyrell, died 5th May 1868
12. PRONI Will of George Hamilton, died 24th September 1939
13. PRONI Will of George Gordon, died 6th April 1924
14. PRONI Will of John McAleavey, died 9th February 1926
15. PRONI D695/M/1 Banbridge 1703
16. PRONI D695/M/2 County Down 1755
17. PRONI D671/M/1/7 Banbridge 1771
18. Belfast Newsletter 27th October 1862
19. Belfast Newsletter 27th January 1872
20. Belfast Newsletter 27th July 1877
21. Pigot & Co Directory 1824
22. Belfast Directory 1841/2
23. Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory 1856
24. Post Office Directory 1843

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An almost symmetrical two-storey four-bay Victorian end-terrace office, built c.1860 and located to the north side of Church Street in Banbridge town centre. Architectural detailing is relatively well-preserved and the building and much of its original character survives. Located in an area of the town that comprises some of the earliest development for the professional classes and also part of a group (HB17/04/010A-G) demonstrating changes reflecting the boom in the town’s fortunes brought by the growth of a worldwide linen trade.

General comments

Previously HB17/04/010