89 Newry Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An end-terrace two-storey-with-attic two-bay commercial premises, built c.1820 and located to the west side of Newry Street in Banbridge town centre. Square on plan, abutted by a single-storey flat-roof extension to rear (in separate use).

Pitched artifical slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystack having terracotta pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods with plastic downpipes. Walling is painted smooth render with quoins to northeast corner. Windows are uPVC in moulded architraves with painted sills; modern plate-glass window to shop-front.

The principal elevation faces east. Window to first floor centre; modern shop-front is surmounted by a timber fascia board on fluted pilasters with console brackets.

The south gable is abutted by adjoining building (HB17/06/014B).

The west (rear) elevation has a window to left at first floor; abutted at ground floor by the flat-roof return.

The north gable has a timber-framed window to right of centre at first floor; six-panelled timber door with transom light to ground floor right; modern plate-glass window to ground floor left.

Setting:
Prominently sited along a major thoroughfare in the centre of the town, directly north of The Downshire Arms Hotel (HB17/06/15). Two-storey rubble-stone building to rear with red-brick dressings.

Roof: Artificial slate
Walling: Smooth render
Windows: uPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The current shop and dwelling is part of a terrace that was originally constructed before 1833, but has been remodelled over the years, notably in 1905. The double-height outbuilding originally overlooked a linen market which was sited to the rear of the terrace.

Buildings are shown on the site on the first edition OS map of 1833. Although the terrace has clearly been remodelled in the ensuing years, it is likely that it is built around an earlier core, possibly contemporary with the neighbouring early nineteenth-century Downshire Arms Hotel. By the 1830s one of the houses was in use as the post office and the terrace may indeed have been built for that purpose, located as it is beside a posting inn. The first edition (1833) shows outbuildings and a courtyard to the rear of the terrace which were once used as a linen market and later became gardens for the current buildings.

The terrace was originally divided into two houses, rather than three, the present numbers 91 and 93 forming a single house and post-office belonging to Margaret Mitchell and her daughter, also called Margaret Mitchell. Mitchell was the post-mistress from at least 1831 and was accustomed to rise daily at 5 o’clock to sort the mail. In April 1831, the Belfast Newsletter carried a report that the post-office had been broken into. A disgruntled former employee had scaled a wall to the rear of the property and made away with some silver but was later captured and brought to trial. The Townland Valuation of 1828-40 lists the house/post-office belonging to Mitchell at a valuation of £16. The smaller adjoining dwelling is let to John Hibbit and is valued at £6.16s. Dimensions are given for the two buildings which suggest that the post-office breakfront projected six inches forward of the adjoining dwelling in the same manner as it does today.

With Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) the terrace begins to be listed as three separate buildings. Numbers 91 and 93 are both occupied by Margaret Mitchell, although part of number 91 is let to solicitor Hugh Glass as an office. Number 93 was the post office and all the buildings in the terrace are described as ‘plastered and stone finished’. The post office is valued at £15 and the attorney’s office at £11, while the adjoining, smaller house at number 89 which was then vacant, is valued at £9. Dimensions are given for the buildings and double-height outbuildings to the rear.

There were frequent changes of occupier at number 89. Anthony McAreavey (n.d.) is followed by Thomas McCarry (1870) James Matchett (1875) and Robert Luce (1878). The 1901 census lists Robert Luce as a 55-year-old letterpress printer who lives with his wife, a bonnet-maker, his son, a carpenter and his 13-year-old niece who is still at school. At the time of the 1911 census the building was vacant.

In 1905 the house was added to and ‘practically rebuilt’ by the landlord Alexander Rowney who added an extension to the rear built in brick and slate. Dimensions and a plan are given and the rent was £15. Subsequent tenants were Alexander Jardine (1906) James Downing (1907) Joseph Thompson (1908) James Thompson (1909) David Patterson (1911) John Floyd & Co (1923) Alexander McQuaid Junior (1928) and Mabel McQuaid.

At the time of the First General Revaluation in 1933/4 the occupier was Alexander McQuade Junior. Teh house, shop, office and yard were revalued at £16. Accommodation comprised a shop, a passage to the back of the scullery,a kitchen with closed range, a scullery with cold water only and a pantry on the ground floor. On the first floor was one front reception and one bedroom. The attic held a large bedroom with a skylight at the back and there was an enclosed yard with outside WC. The first floor of the outbuildings in the yard was used as a store. The valuer comments that the building is ‘oldish’ but ‘in very good condition’ A plan is given showing a single-storey extension to the rear and a separate two storey outbuilding. Further outbuildings to the rear were sublet. The landlord Robert Rowney of New York USA appealed in 1935 and an inspection was made. The valuer commented that this was a corner premises with the front room used as a shop selling sweets, cigarettes, minerals etc . The shop had electric light but the WC was in the yard. There was no bath or hot and cold supplies. A 500 gallon petrol pump was also part of the holding and had been in place ‘some years’.

The building was listed in 1977 and in 1981 alterations were made including the insertion of a wider shopfront and interior remodelling. A shop window and door were inserted into the side elevation. (HB file)

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/2/A/3/2 Valuer’s Notebook 1898
8. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/12 Valuer’s Notebook 1905
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6A-H Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/7A-C Annual Revisions (1899-1930)
11. PRONI VAL/12/F/4/1/1 Annual Revisions (1930-35)
12. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/4 First General Revaluation (1936-57)
13. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/2/B/11 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
14. 1901 census online
15. 1911 census online
16. Belfast Newsletter 1st April 1833
17. Banbridge Chronicle 14th May 1965
18. Banbridge Chronicle 8th February 1963
19. Banbridge Chronicle 10th June 1971
20. NIEA HB file

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An end-terrace two-storey two-bay commercial premises, built c.1820 and located to the west side of Newry Street in Banbridge town centre. Forming part of a terrace of three, all of which have been subject to refurbishments over the years, the loss of architectural detailing and a modern interior has compromised much of the original character.