4 Stream Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, two storey, rubble-fronted terrace house of perhaps c.1800-20, made somewhat plainer in recent years with the removal of its classical door case. There is a modern flat roofed extension to the gable. The building is situated within the terrace at the N end of the E side of Stream Street.

The asymmetrical front façade faces W. The ground floor is set at a high level, with the front entrance reached via a raised walkway with simple wrought iron railings and steps to N (next to No.2 Stream St). The front entrance is to the left and consists of a modern panelled and glazed door set in a cement lined recess with brick dressings. This doorway used to have a Greek Revival inspired door case with pilasters an Greek key frieze to entablature. To the right of the doorway are two brick dressed windows with what appear to be sash frames, but which may actually have modern hopper openers [this was not confirmed]. There are three more windows to the first floor, similar to the ground floor only slightly smaller.

The S gable is dominated by a large two storey flat roofed extension with modern windows to S and W.

To the left at the rear is a large two storey gabled return which has a lower two storey gabled ‘shed’ section to its gable. To the first floor of the S face of the return there is a window with modern frame. The exposed upper section of the gable of the return is blank. Neither the face of the return nor the rear façade of the main house could be seen clearly, but the ground floor of the rear façade appears to be completely covered by a lean-to. The first floor of the N face of the return is blank (the ground floor could not be observed).

The front façade is largely rubble finished, as is the N face and gable of the return. The main S gable and modern extension are rendered. The gabled roof is slated with a Velux window to front and [?cast iron] skylight to return. Rendered chimney stack to S. The rw goods appear to be mainly cast iron.

Historical information

The east side of Stream Street is shown largely developed on a 1729 town plan of Downpatrick. This particular house, (which used to have an overtly Neo-Classical doorway), may date from the early 19th century (or may simply have had its former door case added at that stage). It is probably the building shown on the valuation plan of 1838 which the accompanying valuation returns tell us belonged to an Eleanor Anderson*.

The large extension to the south gable was added some time prior to 1975.

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
B. Proportion
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Small, two storey, rubble-fronted terrace house of perhaps c.1800-20, which has group value with its neighbours.