Site of former 25 Scotch Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site, on the S side of Scotch Street, of a former three storey house of possible pre 1834 construction, demolished c.1990 with its place now taken up with the entrance to a car park.

The building was described in the first survey of February 1974 as: ‘Three storey house on the slope of street down to W. Roof slated, right hand gable end. Chimneys rendered. Wall rendered and channel jointed or rusticated. Dentilled eaves cornice. Raised quoins, moulded first floor sill course. Second floor [four] drop hung windows, no astragals. Four first floor drop hung windows, horizontals. Ground floor has four pane window, semicircular arch to top panes, [then- to right] coach doorway, [then] house doorway, [then] drop hung window as one first floor. All windows have moulded architrave and decorative keystone. Coach doorway has recessed lintel and keystone over and diagonally sheeted door. House doorway framed with panelled pilaster jambs with decorative brackets and decorative brackets, decorative frieze lintel below pediment. Door panelled with plain fanlight.

Condition of front fair, but roof settled and building believed to need structural attention’.

Historical information

The south side of Scotch Street is shown fully developed on a Downpatrick town plan of 1720. It is probable (judging from photographs) that the building which stood on this site until fairly recently may have been 18th century but began life as two dwellings. The valuation town plan of 1838 supports this theory, showing smaller individual houses on this general site. The house described above may have been formed from the two properties recorded in 1838 as belonging to William Forsyth and George McKeating respectively. When the two former separate dwellings became amalgamated is difficult to say, but the front façade noted above suggests the late 19th century.

The building was demolished c.1990.

References- Primary sources
1 Down County Museum ‘A plan of Downpatrick’ (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.21
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

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site, on the S side of Scotch Street, of a former three storey house of possible pre 1834 construction, which probably began as two separate dwellings. The property was demolished c.1990 with its place now taken up with the entrance to a car park.