12 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid-terrace three-bay two-storey over basement with attic, mid - eighteenth century rendered former house, formerly constituting a single house with neighbouring No.14 (HB19/05/008B). Rectangular on plan facing west with integral carriage arch to the north bay, railed basement area and lean-to two-storey over basement rear accretion. Renovated c.2000 with the rear plot developed as a series of modern terraced townhouses called Church Lane.

Natural slate roof, pitched to the south, hipped to the north with sprocketed eaves and flat-roofed felt-covered dormers to the north and rear pitches. Redbrick chimneystack with clay pots to the north end and cast-iron guttering on iron brackets to moulded masonry eaves. Painted pebble-dash rendered walling with rusticated rendered quoins to the north only, smooth rendered to the basement level and rear elevation. Square-headed window openings with smooth rendered surrounds, painted masonry sills and 6/6 timber sash windows with exposed sash boxes.

Front west elevation is four windows wide with an irregular window to wall ratio having a round-headed door opening to the south bay, an elliptical-headed carriage arch to the north bay at basement level and a walled and railed basement area to the two centre bays. Round-headed door opening with smooth rendered surround, early twentieth-century 6-panelled timber door with brass furniture and original webbed timber fanlight over. Door opens onto three concrete steps flanked by decorative cast-iron railing to the south (belonging to No. 14 HB19/05/008B) and replacement iron railing on painted masonry wall enclosing basement area to the north. Steel grilles to the basement openings. Modern steel gate to the carriage arch with exposed structural timbers to the carriage arch area.

North side elevation abutted by adjoining building No. 10. The rear arch to the carriage opening is built in redbrick.

Rear elevation abutted by lean-to two-storey over basement accretion with natural slate roof. The rear elevation rises to a flat-roofed dormer almost spanning the entire rear elevation. Replacement timber casement windows to the rear elevation, uPVC to the return, except early 6/3 timber sash window to the north cheek of return.

South side elevation abutted by adjoining building No. 14 (HB19/05/008B).

Setting:
Set on a steeply inclined site to the east of Main Street facing west, formerly a large house together with No. 14.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Pebble-dash render
Windows 6/6 Timber sash / timber casement / uPVC

Historical information

No. 12 Main Street first appears on a map of Hillsborough c.1800 where it is depicted as a rectangular building situated half way up the east side of Hill Street. This map depicts the house with its rear return and a large oblong out office along the north side of its yard. In c.1800 No. 12 was a single building with No. 14 Main Street (HB 19/05/008B) and this large house was occupied by a Mr. Bradshaw. The first Ordnance Survey map (1833) and the contemporary Townland Valuation show little change, although in the 1830s a second out office is evident at the back of the yard. The Townland Valuation records that a Mr. Thomas Percy occupied the house in the 1830s at which time it was valued at £14.

The second edition of the Ordnance Survey map (1858) shows a slightly reduced return to the house. This was due to the demolition of a small out office at the end of the return at some stage between 1833 and 1858. In 1861 Griffith’s Valuation records that a Mr. Michael Kelly let the house from the Marquis of Downshire at rent of £19. At that time the house had increased in value to £17. and was recorded as a 1B+ building measuring 12 by 7 yds and two-and-a-half-storeys high. The largest out office measured 13 yds by 5 yds and was probably used as a coach house. Kelly occupied the house until it came into the possession of a Mr. Frances Heath in 1864. Over the next decade No. 12 Main Street was occupied by a number of residents. In 1870 William Taylor, a sub-inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary briefly came into possession; he died later that year (Graveyard Inscriptions, p. 90). In 1878 Robert McCarthy came into possession of the house and lived there until his death in 1900. The 1901 Census tells us that he was survived by his widow Mary McCarthy (67) who lived at No. 12 with her son James McCarthy, a local Linen Manufacturer. The census recorded that No. 12 was a 1st class dwelling consisting of 10 inhabited rooms and four out offices. In 1913 William R. Lilly, a Presbyterian Coach Builder, occupied the house with his wife Sara and daughter Maggie Alice. Lilly occupied No. 12 Main Street until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930.

Field inspection supports a late eighteenth century date of construction. In 1974 Brett stated that the house was used as a pottery shop and he described Nos. 12 and 14 as ‘two houses under a single roof ... two-storey with masked basement, coach arch, round-headed doorcases with simple fanlights; very well painted and restored’ (Brett, p. 20). No. 12 was listed in 1976 and in 1989 a conservatory was added to the rear of the house. In 2001 the house was renovated and converted into offices; the rear out offices (previously used as coach houses, stables or stores) were converted into separate dwellings and the yard renamed ‘Church Lane’ (NIEA File). At the time of writing (2010) No. 12 Main Street is let by a number of businesses.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI D671/M/8/25 – Hillsborough Map c.1800
2. PRONI D671/M/8/57/1 – Hillsborough Illustrated Map 1803
3. PRONI VAL/1/B/344 A-B – Townland Valuations 1834
4. PRONI VAL/1/D/3/5 – Town Plan 1834
5. PRONI OS/6/3/14/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
6. PRONI OS/6/3/14/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858
7. PRONI OS/6/3/14/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1902-1903
8. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-1920
9. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/45A-C – Griffith’s Valuation 1861
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14A – Annual Revisions 1864-1879
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14B – Annual Revisions 1880-1889
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14C – Annual Revisions 1890-1908
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14D – Annual Revisions 1909-1928
14. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14E – Annual Revisions 1928-1930

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the towns and villages of Mid Down: Hillsborough, Dromore, Dromara, Ballynahinch, the Spa, Drumaness and Saintfield’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1974.
2. ‘Gravestone Inscriptions: Vol. 18 Co. Down’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1979.
3. NIEA File – HB19/05/008A.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Mid-terrace three-bay two-storey over basement with attic, rendered mid - eighteenth century former house. Formerly part of a single house with No.14 (HB19/05/008B). The irregular facade composition of this former house, necessitated by the steep incline of the street, is of interest. Forming one half of a substantial townhouse, the current building retains its external appearance with some interesting remnants in the interior. It has group value with no 14 and this early structure is one of the earliest and more substantial on Main Street and together they are of considerable importance.

General comments

This record has been renumbered. It was previously included in HB19/05/008. This record has now been split.