12 Bridge Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay three-storey end-terrace commercial premises, incorporating the upper floors of the neighbouring building (HB17/15/016A). Ppre-dating 1833 and located to the west side of Bridge Street north of the River Lagan in Dromore town centre. Rectangular plan with shop-front to ground floor recessed beneath jettied upper floors and two-storey return (later) to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystacks to gables. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on red-brick eaves course. Walling is painted ruled-and-lined render with straight quoins to upper floors. Windows are 1/1 timber-framed sash with horns and painted projecting sills; 2/2 to second floor and 3/3 with margin panes to south elevation of return.

The principal elevation faces east with entrance at first floor street-level; ground floor shop-front is recessed and beneath jettied upper storeys, each two windows wide, are supported on three cast-iron columns. Shop-front to ground-floor left with plate glass windows on a chamfered stall riser divided by timber partitions with trefoil detail to squinches and timber-sheeted soffits. Replacement half-panelled timber entrance door to right of shop-front.

The south elevation is three-storey with ground floor at river level; two windows to second floor; window to first and ground floor left.

The west (rear) elevation has a 1/1 window to second floor left; abutted at ground-floor by the two-storey return (at an angle) with 1/1 window to ground floor left and two multi-paned windows to south elevation.

The north gable is abutted by adjoining building (HB17/15/016A).

Setting

Set directly north of bridge over the River Lagan and forming the end of an early nineteenth-century terrace in the centre of Dromore. Street-facing to east with shop-front recessed beneath jettied upper floors and pavement. To north is a timber-sheeted latch-gate to side-alley leading to a rear yard, partially lawned, and enclosed by mature hedgerow.

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

Historical information

No. 12 Bridge Street, a three-storey Georgian townhouse situated on the north side of the River Lagan along with the adjoining No. 10 Bridge Street (HB17/15/016A) was constructed in the early 19th-century first appearing on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map of Dromore in 1833 and a contemporary Townland Valuation plan. The maps depicted the building as an rectangular-shaped building possessing a rear return that extended to the River Lagan and appears to enter the river suggesting that the building originally possessed a mill or water wheel (no trace of such a structure now exists at the site, an Annual Revisions town plan (dated c. 1861-c. 1906) notes that by the mid-to-late-19th century, the rear return had been taken down). The contemporary Townland Valuations (c. 1830) note that No. 12 Bridge Street was valued at £13 6s. and was administered by a Mr. Adam Agnew of Rath House (HB17/15/002).

By 1859 the rear return continued to be depicted on the second edition of the Ordnance Survey map; Griffith’s Valuation notes that in 1861 No. 12 Bridge Street was occupied by a Mr. Henry Graham and was valued at £13. Henry Graham was employed as a surgeon and leased the property from a Mr. Thomas Stewart; however by 1867 ownership of the property had passed to Hugh Stewart, also of Rath House who was employed as Stamp Distributor for the local area.

In 1891 occupation of the property passed to Messers. George and William Preston; the Ulster Town Directory notes that George and William Preston were employed as auctioneers, valuers and estate agents, however by William Preston’s death in 1901 the business was continued by George Preston under the company name ‘George Preston & Son (Ulster Town Directories). George Preston continued to be recorded as occupant of No. 12 Bridge Street until his own death in 1925. Preston did not reside at the address, the 1911 Census noted that the site was unoccupied; but it also recorded that No. 12 Bridge Street was utilised as an ‘Auction Market,’ utilised by Preston as an office for his auctioneer business.

The third edition of the Ordnance Survey map records that the former rear return, that had extended into the River Lagan, had been taken down by at least 1903; it is possible that the return was removed when the current Downshire Bridge was constructed in 1885 although the value of the property remained unaltered at £13 until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930 providing no date for the alteration. George Preston purchased both nos 10 and 12 Bridge Street in 1924; however he died in 1925 whilst residing at his residence ‘Greenmount’ in the townland of Quilly (PRONI Wills).

In 1969 Brett described Bridge Street as ‘rather a jumble, consisting largely of tall peeling stucco houses in a state of decrepitude but with one or two cheerful notes’ and recorded that No. 12 Bridge Street continued to be utilised as a commercial premises ‘its shop-front attractively set back behind simple iron columns.’ Brett noted that the entrance door to No. 12 formerly possessed ‘curiously romantic mock-stained glass, portraying an angelic warrior on horseback’ however this feature has been removed since the 1960s (Brett, p. 29). Nos 10 and 12 Bridge Street were listed in 1977 and since that time have continued to be utilised as commercial premises; in 1998 the owners Mr. and Mrs. W. Black were awarded the Historic Buildings Council Award of Merit for ‘the painstaking restoration work of 10-12 Bridge Street.’

The two-storey return situated to the rear of No. 12 Bridge Street is not depicted on the current edition of the Ordnance Survey map of 1973 although it can be partially viewed on the First Survey Image in 1975 suggesting that it was either constructed c. 1973-75 or was simply not included in the Ordnance Survey Map and dates from the early 20th century.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/21/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/21/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/21/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/21/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1919-20
5. PRONI VAL/1/D/3/13 – Townland Valuation map c. 1834
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/342 – Townland Valuations c. 1830
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/38A – Griffith’s Valuation 1861
8. PRONI VAL/12/E/122/3/4 – Annual Revisions Town Plan c. 1861- c. 1906
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/10A – Annual Revisions 1864-1878
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/10B – Annual Revisions 1879-1891
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/10C – Annual Revisions 1892-1898
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11A – Annual Revisions 1899-1910
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11B – Annual Revisions 1911-1919
14. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11C – Annual Revisions 1920-1930
15. PRONI Wills Catalogue (27 Dec 1901; 22 Sept 1925)
16. Ulster Town Directories (1843-1918)
17. Census of Ireland (1901 / 1911)
18. First Survey Record – HB17/15/016 (1969)
19. First Survey Image – HB17/15/016 (1975)
20. Ordnance Survey map – 202-4 (1973)

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the towns and villages of Mid Down: Hillsborough, Dromore, Dromara, Ballynahinch, the Spa, Drumaness and Saintfield’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1974.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-bay three-storey end-terrace commercial premises, incorporating part of neighbouring building no 10 (HB17/15/016A), pre-dating 1833. The building has been restored in recent years, and though much of its original character survives, modern commercial interiors have replaced the original to a great extent. The shop-front to ground floor with upper storeys supported on cast-iron columns is a distinctive detail of the buillding. It is a good example of this type of urban commercial premises developed over time. The building has group value with no 10 (HB17/15/016A) and is prominent in its setting, with its gable seen in context with the river.

General comments

New listing criteria R & S to be added when available. - NO'R 03.10.13.