49-79 Windmill Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site, on the S side of Windmill Street (to the W of Ballynahinch town centre) of a former two storey terrace of 16 houses, demolished in c.1974-75 with the ground now mainly occupied by a leisure centre.

When first surveyed in August 1974, the terrace was described as: ‘Two storey terrace of 16 houses. Roof slated, gable ends. Chimneys rendered. Walls rendered and lined. First floor drop hung windows largely Georgian paned, but many blocked up. Ground floor windows, drop hung, vertical astragals and three light windows, elliptical arch heads, horizontal astragals. Others blocked. Doors sheeted and flush panel, and panelled with plain and three pane fanlights, some blocked. Condition fair to poor. Front about 220ft’.

Historical information

The south side of Windmill Street is shown almost entirely vacant on the OS map of 1834, with only a few houses to the west end where the street opens into The Square. By 1858 it had been completely developed with an almost unbroken terrace in place. It is likely that at least some of the houses present on this site until recently belonged to this grouping, and probably dated from c.1840-50, but others (in particular those described in the first survey as having elliptical headed windows), may have dated from the later 19th century.

The valuation records of c.1863 list many of the dwellings in Windmill Street under the title ‘small house and garden’, with most rated at £2-£3.

The terrace was demolished in c.1974-75.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.1255 Title deeds, legal and testamentary papers, correspondence and Irish Land Commissioners Papers re the Ballynahinch Estate, 1630-1940.
2 PRONI OS/1/3/22 OS map 1st ed., 1834, Co. Down 22.
3 PRONI VAL/1B/388A-B Valuation records, Magherdrool, 1834-1838.
4 PRONI VAL/1D/3/19 Valuation town plan, Ballynahinch, 1838.
5 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ]).
6 PRONI OS/9/41/1 OS Town plan of Ballynahinch, 1860
7 PRONI and Linen Hall Library Second (Griffith’s) valuation, Magherdrool, c.1863 [in print].
8 PRONI VAL/12E/83/1 Valuation town plans, Ballynahinch, 1864-1905.
9 PRONI VAL/12E/83/2 Valuation town plans, Ballynahinch, 1905-35.
10 PRONI OS/8/3/2 OS town plan of Ballynahinch, 1920.
11 PRONI VAL/3G/59/1 Valuation town plans, Ballynahinch, 1937-53.

Secondary sources
1 S. McCullough ‘Ballynahinch: centre of Down’ (Ballynahinch Chamber of Commerce 1968).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site of former two storey terrace of probable mid to later 19th century origin, demolished c.1974-75 with ground now partly taken up by a leisure centre.