27 Benraw Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A one-and-a-half-storey three-bay Victorian house built c.1850. Rectangular plan form with breakfront gable central bay. Located on the Benraw Road approximately three miles northwest of Castlewellan.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles; box-eaves; plain timber barge boards; cast-iron rainwater goods; smooth rendered chimneystcks with moulded cornice; clay pots. Smooth rendered walls. 6/6 timber sliding exposed box sash windows with margin-panes and horns; masonry cills. Four-panelled raised and pointed timber door with bolection mouldings; margin-paned rectangular over light.

The principal elevation faces southwest and is symmetrically arranged. Gabled breakfront central bay comprising door flanked by narrow windows; segmental-headed window over. The bays either side comprise a single window.

The left gable is asymmetrically arranged. Single ground floor window to the left. Two uniformly arranged first floor windows.

The rear elevation is asymmetrically arranged. Timber sheeted rear door located left of centre. Replacement casement picture windows to either side (enlarged to right). Sash window to the far right. Two fixed first floor lights with glazing bars.

The right gable is asymmetrically arranged. All windows replacement timber casement. Ground floor window located right of centre. Two uniformly arranged first floor windows.

Setting

Largely isolated and exposed on the side of a hill with panoramic views over the rural landscape. Partially rendered single-storey rubble masonry outbuildings to the north (under separate ownership). Rubble masonry walls with roughly squared granite block with snecking piers with wrought-iron gates. Small enclosed yard to the rear with associated shed adjoining the rear of the dwelling; of no interest. Garden addressing the front elevation enclosed by rendered walls. Entrance gates removed.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: rendered
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The Victorian house at No. 27 Benraw Road was constructed between 1833-34 and 1860 as it does not appear on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map for the area which was surveyed in 1833-34; however part of the one-storey outbuilding to the west of the current house had been constructed at this time although it is not known whether it was used as a dwelling or farm building.

By the second edition of the Ordnance Survey maps in 1860 the current one-and-a-half-storey house had been constructed to the east of the original outbuilding; by this time the additional outbuilding situated to the north-west of the house had also been constructed.

Griffith’s Valuation records that the Rev. John Henry, who was the founding minister of Leitrim Presbyterian Meeting (100 meters to the west of the house), was the occupant of the site in 1862, however the Will of William Herron, a local farmer, notes that the Rev. Henry resided in the townland of Benraw as early as 1856 (PRONI Wills). Henry leased the house, which was valued at £9, from William Annesley the 4th Earl of Annesley. The Rev. John Henry continued to reside at the house until his death in 1885 when a Mr. William H. McElroy came into possession. McElroy purchased the site from Earl of Annesley in 1900 at the same time he let the house out to Rev. James Hagan who was then the incumbent minister of Leitrim Presbyterian Church.

The 1901 Census recorded that Hagan (36) resided at the house alone; the census building return described the building as a 2nd class dwelling that consisted of eight rooms and possessed a number of farm offices including a stable, cow house, a dairy and a barn that were housed in the outbuildings to the west and north-west of the cottage. By 1911 Hagan had married and lived at the house (which was then known as Leitrim Presbyterian Church’s Manse and captioned as ‘Manse’ on the third edition of the Ordnance Survey map in 1901-02) with his new wife Margaret (30) and their infant daughter. There was no discernible change to the site on the Ordnance Survey maps or the 1911 census building return, however the latter noted that the Manse’s outbuildings were solely utilised as a stable and cowhouse at that time.

Rev. Hagan continued to reside at the Manse until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1929; however by the time of his death in 1935 Hagan had vacated the cottage and was residing in Co. Tyrone (PRONI Wills).

Kirkpatrick states that Leitrim Presbyterian Church was erected as Seceder congregation in 1835 and that the Rev. John Henry was its first minister. The current church was erected shortly after Henry was installed as minister on 29 March 1836; Henry served as minister for 50 years before his death in 1885 (Kirkpatrick, p. 276). No. 27 Benraw Road continued to be utilised as Leitrim Presbyterian Church’s manse until at least the First Survey in 1969.

No. 27 Benraw Road was listed in 1977 and is now occupied as a private dwelling, recently undergoing a major renovation.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/35/1 – First edition Ordnance Survey map 1833-34
2. PRONI OS/6/3/35/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/35/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1901-1902
4. PRONI OS/6/3/35/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1902-1920
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/51/D – Griffith’s Valuation 1862
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/15A – Annual Revisions 1864-1879
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/15B – Annual Revisions 1880-1894
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/15C – Annual Revisions 1895-1908
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/15D – Annual Revisions 1909-1929
10. Ulster Street Directories (1843-1918)
11. PRONI Wills (13 Jun 1856; 28 Mar 1885; 12 Mar 1935)
12. Census of Ireland (1901 / 1911)
13. First Survey Record – HB17/10/003 (1969)

Secondary Sources

1. Kirkpatrick, L., ‘Presbyterians in Ireland: An illustrated history’ Booklink, 2006.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A one-and-a-half-storey three-bay Victorian house built c.1850. Its original character and appearance and survive and the layout and much historic fabric and detailing survive. It is a good example of a small formal dwelling surviving in its original setting. That it was formerly the manse for the local Presbyterian church is of note.