22 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid-terrace three-storey rendered house with lower two-storey wing, built c.1770, located on the east side of Main Street Hillsborough. Rectangular on plan facing west with two-storey flat-roofed extension to rear and single-storey conservatory, added c1990.

Pitched natural slate roof, black clay ridge tiles and pair of rendered chimneystacks. Cast-iron guttering on iron brackets and cast-iron donwpipe. Painted rough-cast rendered walling. Square-headed window openings with smooth render surrounds, painted masonry sills and replacement 6/6 timber sash windows.

Front west elevation is two windows wide to the three-storey section and a single window to the north two-storey carriage arch wing. Paired 6/6 timber sash windows to ground floor with central mullion and shared masonry sill. Square-headed door opening with smooth render surround, four-pane sidelight and timber panelled door. Square-headed carriage arch opening with steel lintel and pair of vertically-sheeted timber doors.

North side elevation abutted by adjoining house No.20 (HB19/05/011).

Rear elevation abutted by flat-roofed extensions with a single window to the second floor visible.

South side elevation abutted by adjoining house No. 24 (HB19/05/012B).

Setting:
Part of a terrace of various building types on the east side of Main Street.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Rough-cast render
Window Replacement timber sash

Historical information

No. 22 Main Street appears on a map of Hillsborough dating from c.1800 as a single building with No. 24 (HB19/05/012B). At that time the house was depicted as a rectangular building (with a large outbuilding on the No. 22 side of the yard) in the possession of a Mr. James Henderson. The Townland Valuation records that Henderson still occupied the house in the 1830s when it was valued at £10.

Griffith's Valuation recorded that a Mr. John McClune owned the house in 1861 when it was let to a Mr John Levingston at 2/6 weekly rent. By 1861 the house had been split into the current Nos. 22 and 24 Main Street and No. 22 was subsequently lowered in value to £4. 10s. The valuer described the house as a 1B- dwelling measuring five by seven yards and three-storeys tall. By 1861 the out offices to the rear of Nos. 22 and 24 had been converted into separate dwellings, the rear yard being renamed ‘McClune’s Court.’ John McClune is recorded as the landlord of ten small dwellings which were valued between £0. 10s. and £2. 10s.

By 1864 the property was owned by a Mr. James Steel who also came into possession of McClunes Court. In 1864 No. 22 was still occupied by John Levingston who resided there until 1902. The next occupant, Mrs Margaret Gowdy, a local grocer, lived in the house until 1909 at which time the house fell vacant until 1917. A Mr. Valentine Silcock then resided at the house until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930. John Steel continued to own the houses on McClunes Court, however by 1930 a number of them were lying vacant and a few were in a dilapidated state of repair.

Field inspection supports a date of construction c. 1770. The current owner is still in possession of the original indenture for a plot of land signed between the Marquis of Downshire and James Henderson in 1773; the house being built shortly afterwards. The houses of McClunes Court have since been taken down and very few original features remain although a number of Edwardian features such as a fireplace and banister are still found in the interior. No. 22 was listed in 1976 and in 1987 extensive restoration work was carried out to the interior; at the same time a two-storey extension was added to the rear of the house. In 2009 further renovations were carried out on the house (NIEA File).

During the period 1770-1830 many of the 17th century thatched buildings on Main Street were replaced by Georgian Townhouses (Walker). No. 22 and No. 24 (built at the same time) are notable as two of the earlier Townhouses built on the street; the existence of the original indenture making these houses one of very few early buildings on Main Street for which we have a definite build date.

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. Walker, S., ‘Hillsborough: An illustrated history and companion’ Belfast: Cottage Publications, 1994).
2. NIEA File – HB19/05/012A.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Mid-terrace three-storey rendered house with two-storey wing, built c.1770, located on the east side of Main Street, Hillsborough. A slender terraced house of modest proportions which has been substantially altered including the addition of large flat roofed extensions to the rear. The front elevation however retains its eighteenth century proportions and contributes positively to the Hillsborough Conservation Area.

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered it was previously recorded as HB19/05/012