2 Stream Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey, rubble-fronted Georgian style terrace townhouse of perhaps c.1800-20 with classical door case. The building is situated within the terrace at the N end of the E side of Stream Street.

The front façade faces W and is asymmetrical. A raised pavement, with wrought iron guard rail, extends across this building and its immediate neighbours. Directly in front of the right of centre front entrance is a short flight of stone steps. The doorway itself has ¾ Tuscan columns which support a projecting (but narrow) canopy. The six panel timber door is topped with a semicircular fanlight with moulded archivolt and ‘petal’ tracery. To the right of the entrance is a plain timber sheeted door, ( which gives access to an entry to the rear yard), with a similar fanlight but without archivolt. This door is set at a slightly lower level. To the left of the entrance are two sash windows with Georgian panes (6/6). To the first floor are four evenly spaced similar windows. There are three Velux roof lights to the front side of the roof.

The front façade is constructed with random rubble field stone and has brick dressings to door and window openings. The building sits slightly forward No.116 Irish Street (to the N side) but is in line with the front of No. 4 Stream Street (to S).

To the ground floor of the rear façade is a tall narrow 4/4 sash window either side of a modern (partly glazed) door with plain fanlight. To the far left is a segmental arch headed opening (entry). To either side of the first floor is a 6/6 sash window. To the second floor (attic) is a 3/3 sash window to each side. To the roof is one small Velux window. The rear façade is finished with smooth cement render and unpainted.

The gabled roof is slated with a large rendered chimney stack to S and another to N. There is a small Velux window to rear (as well as those to front). Rw goods and other pipe work are a mixture of PVC and cast iron.

Historical information

The east side of Stream Street is shown largely developed on a 1729 town plan of Downpatrick. This particular house, with its overtly Neo-Classical doorway, probably dates from the late 18th or early 19th century, perhaps c.1820. It is probably the building shown on the valuation plan of 1838 which the accompanying valuation returns tell us belonged to John Craig (who also owned the large house to the north- 114-16 Irish Street)*. It is possible that the building is post 1838, for it shares a similar door case, façade and roofline as the building just to the north, which we know is post 1838 (probably c.1840)

In recent years the property has served as a hostel.

References- Primary sources
1 Down County Museum ‘A plan of Downpatrick’ by Michael Wills (c.1708)
2 PRONI D.477A ‘A survey of the town of Downpatrick in the county of Down and province of Ulster in Ireland’ by James Maguire (c.1708)
3 British Library, Addit. MS 9750, ff.71b-72 ‘A plan of the town of Downpatrick (c.1720)
4 British Library, Addit. MS 21, 131, f.90 ‘A plan of the town of Downpatrick 1729’
5 Walter Harris, ‘The ancient and present state of the County of Down’ (Dublin 1744)
6 PRONI OS/6/3/37/1 OS map, Down sh 37, 1834
7 Ordnance Survey memoirs of Co Down (IV), ed Angélique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1992), pp.38-61 [Dec. 1836]
8 PRONI VAL/1B/378 First valuation, Down, c.1838 [*Unfortunately this valuation does not supply either dimensions of buildings within Downpatrick or any indication of their age / condition; it merely gives a list of the occupants names and the rateable value of each property.]
9 PRONI VAL/1D/3/7 First valuation town plan of Downpatrick, c.1838
10 PRONI OS/8/9/1/1-24 OS town plans of Downpatrick, 1859
11 PRONI Second valuation, Down, 1863 (in print). [The map to accompany this valuation is missing.]
12 PRONI VAL/12E/120/1 Revaluation manuscript books, Downpatrick, 1864-1901
13 PRONI VAL/12E/120/1/1-24 Revaluation town plans of Downpatrick, 1864-1901 [12 sheets missing]
14 PRONI OS/8/9/2/1-3 OS town plans of Downpatrick, 1901
15 PRONI VAL/12E/120/2/1-3 Revaluation town plans of Downpatrick, 1906-35

Secondary sources
1 Lady Dunleath, P.J. Rankin, A Rowan, ‘Historic buildings…Downpatrick’ (Belfast 1970), p.16
2 Anthony M. Wilson, ‘Saint Patrick’s town’ (Belfast 1995)
3 R.H. Buchanan and Anthony Wilson, ‘Irish historic towns atlas no.8: Downpatrick’ (Royal Irish Academy 1996)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Fine two storey, rubble-fronted Georgian style terrace townhouse of perhaps c.1800-20 with classical door case.