5 Church Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A gabled three-storey three-bay corner-sited commercial premises with original shop-front, built 1902 on the site of a previous building and located to the south side of Church Street in Dromore town centre. Rectangular on plan and angled to southwest; two-storey modern return to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with raked cornice returning to approximate an open pediment; ball finial to gable; replacement rendered chimneystack. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is ruled-and-lined painted render with moulded string course between upper floors to principal elevation; ruled and lined render to remainder. Double-height recessed round-headed canted window at first and second floors with label mould and keyblock, plate-glass windows to shop-front; 1/1 timber-framed sash windows with horns and projecting painted sills to east elevation.

The principal elevation faces northeast; central recessed canted window to upper floors and full-width shop-front to ground floor. Canted window appears to be a modern replacement and has a modern decorated apron panel between floors. Shop-front comprises two-plate glass windows on rendered stall risers with decorative glazing bars to upper sections and timber divisions having carved brackets; flanking a central fully-glazed recessed doorway. Glazed timber door surmounted by transom light; black and white geometric tiles and timber-sheeted ceiling to porch all supporting a modern fascia with cornice; porch enclosed by modern timber gate.

The southeast elevation is angled at left and diminished to second floor; projecting chimneybreast with corbelled base and window to first and second floor; ground floor has 3/3 timber-framed sash. Angled bay has a window to first and second floor; small 1/1 window to ground floor left and a recessed bolection-moulded four-panel timber door with brass door furniture accessed by a painted render step and surmounted by transom light having applied lettering reading “GUNNING HOUSE”.

The southwest elevation is abutted by the two-storey return, which is extended to southwest. Southeast elevation has variety of timber-framed sash windows with horns and replacement timber-sheeted entrance door at left.

The northwest elevation is abutted by adjoining building.

Setting

Street-fronted; alleyway to southeast leads to rear garden enclosed by corrugated metal gate.

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

Historical information

The current dwelling house and shop dates from 1902 but may incorporate fabric from earlier structures on the site which pre-date the first ordnance survey of 1833. A building is shown on the site on the first edition OS map but the shop front was rebuilt in 1902 and it is unclear how much of the earlier fabric was retained to the rear.

The Townland Valuation of 1828-40 lists a house on the site and, abutting the rear return of the dwelling, a corn mill in separate ownership. Dimensions are given for the corn mill, dwelling house and outbuildings which are valued at £12.12s and £8 respectively. The occupiers were Edward McCartney and Thomas Waring.

In Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) the house and shop was listed in two parts. The front part facing onto the street was occupied by John Drake, a spirit and porter dealer (1852 Directory), then William John Agnew and is leased from Edward McCartney who now occupies the adjacent corn mill and was a grocer and miller (1852, 1861 Directories). The shop and yard are valued at £10 and the rent is £12 ‘at will’ meaning the lease could be terminated at any time on either side. The shop was three-storey and measured 6x7 yards with a two-storey return measuring 4x7. The building had recently been taken by a new tenant (early 1860s) and was being repaired and refurbished with the installation of a new shop front. A further return to the rear (still present) and a kitchen were then part of a separate tenement held by Edward McCartney and were connected to his corn mill by a doorway which was closed up in subsequent years. The corn mill (now gone) abutted the return of the present house and derived water power from the River Lagan. The French burr grinder and Irish sheller were worked about 16 hours a day, 9 months in the year.

In 1877 the shop became the premises of Andrew Bonnar, saddler who was followed by William Cowden MD (1881), William Henry (1884), William Saul, woollen draper and haberdasher (1886, 1880 Directory) John McAherty (1889) Miss Graham, a laundress (1893) (1901 census) and Thomas Wilkinson boot maker (1899) The next occupant was Joseph Hale, a butcher who unusually notes himself as an agnostic in the census. The premises was rebuilt, possibly by Hale, in 1902, bringing about a rise in valuation to £21. Some early photographs of the Wednesday fowl and pork market at Dromore appear to show sides of meat hanging at the front of the shop. (Hanna and Quail)

By 1907 the premises was vacant and in 1908 Thomas Wilkinson moved back into the shop. Wilkinson was a boot maker and leather merchant who is listed in the 1911 census as resident with his wife and their four young sons aged between 5 and 1. The boot shop had three windows to the front facade, seven rooms and was designated second class. The premises passed to James Ervine in 1917, proprietor of Ervine & Co, Drapers, Boot and Shoe Merchant and Haberdashers. Hanna and Quail state that the shop was once known as the Excel Boot and Shoe Store.

Subsequent tenants were Robert Beattie (1933) Thomas Bloomfield (1935) and Francis Silcock (who bought the house and shop in the 1940s for £1,250. For a time in the 1930s the house and shop were let separately and valuer’s notes give a plan of the building showing the shop to the front and dwelling accommodation to the rear. The living accommodation comprised three bedrooms, two receptions, a kitchen, scullery and WC but had no bathroom at this stage. In the 1950s the house, shop and land were sold to M E Neeson. The shop has recently been in use as the ‘Sports Injury & Rehabilitation Centre’ but is currently vacant.

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/3/38F – Griffith’s Valuation 1861
8. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/4/2 Valuation Notes 1902
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/10A –C Annual Revisions 1864-1898
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11A –C – Annual Revisions 1899-1930
11. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/1/7 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
12. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/8/A/12 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
13. Ordnance Survey Memoirs, Co. Down III, Vol. 12 (1834)
14. First Survey Record – HB 17/15/020 (1969)
15. Ordnance Survey map – 202-4SW (1973)
16. Street Directories 1852-1880

Secondary Sources

1. Hanna, J and Quail, D “Old Dromore, Hillsborough and Donaghcloney” Stenlake, 2002

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A gabled three-storey three-bay corner-sited commercial premises with original shop-front, built 1902 on the site of a previous building. Although the building has been altered, significant historic fabric and detailing survive including historic changes in the use of the site. The shop front is representative of the type and the upper window is an unusual feature. The shop is one of the last of its type in Dromore and an increasingly rare example of a traditional turn-of-the-century shop-front with central recessed entrance porch and idiosyncratic detailing.