13 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid terrace two-storey three-bay early nineteenth-century stone and brick house, located on the west side of Main Street Hillsborough. Rectangular on plan facing east with integral carriage arch to the north bay, single-storey rear extension and converted former coach-house to rear site.

Pitched natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles and pair of rebuilt redbrick chimneystacks to either end with terracotta and octagonal clay pots. Further redbrick chimneystack rising from rear elevation. Replacement cast-iron guttering on iron brackets to rendered eaves course and cast-iron downpipe. Plastic rainwater goods on iron brackets to rear elevation. Random basalt walling with lime mortar and squared pink sandstone quoins. Square-headed window openings formed in redbrick with sandstone sills and replacement 6/6 timber sash windows with no horns.

Front east elevation is four windows wide with three-centred arched door opening formed in redbrick with original timber door having four raised and fielded panels, spoked timber fanlight, opening onto concrete step to the street. To the northernmost bay is an elliptical-headed carriage arch with timber lintel and redbrick infill, pair of replacement vertically-sheeted doors and cast-iron conical wheel-guards.

South side elevation abutted by adjoining building No.15 (HB19/05/021A).

Rear west elevation is four windows wide, randomly placed and abutted by a modern single-storey extension to the south end. Adjacent to the carriage arch is a redbrick projecting chimneystack above ground floor level. Some original 6/6 timber sash windows to this elevation and a square-headed door opening with replacement glazed timber door.

North side elevation abutted by No.11 (HB19/05/019) with redbrick walling within the carriage arch.

Setting:
Part of a terrace of houses of varying sizes but similar dates, lining the west side of Main Street. Detached three-bay two-storey reconstructed rubblestone former coach-house to rear.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Random basalt
Windows Replacement timber sash
RWG Plastic

Historical information

A building on this site first appears on a map of Hillsborough dating from c.1800 where it is depicted as a single oblong structure either owned or occupied by a Miss McPherson. The Townland Valuation map of the 1830s shows that at this time the property was divided into two separate dwellings. Both were valued at £3. 10s; and were occupied by a Mr. Michael Tracy who resided in the northernmost house and Ms. Jane turner who lived in the adjoining house.

By 1861 the house was recorded in Griffith’s Valuation as one large house measuring 14 by 9 yards and two-storeys high; it may have been extensively remodelled or completely built between 1830 and 1861 (the recorder believes the house to date from c.1830) but what is clear is that the conversion to a single building resulted in the value of the house being greatly increased to £19. The house was owned by a Ms. Abigail Davidson who let the property to the local Surgeon, Dr. William Boyd. The Annual Revisions map of c.1860s records that the house was used as the local post office and possessed a large L -shaped return with an out office at the rear of the yard; by 1896 the post office had been moved to No. 19 Main Street (HB19/05/022). At some stage the rear return was also taken down.

Dr. William Boyd occupied the house until 1885 when it was taken over by his son Henry J. Boyd who also practised as a surgeon. Henry J. Boyd lived at the house on Main Street until 1903 when the family moved to Roden House on Park Street (HB19/05/071). In 1901 Dr. Henry Boyd operated out of the dispensary which was located in Lisburn Street. One of Hillsborough’s most respected families, at least four generations of the Boyd family served Hillsborough as Doctors; a Lych Gate situated in the parish church graveyard was dedicated to Henry J. Boyd’s memory whilst a memorial garden was built on Main Street to commemorate his grandson Dr. Arthur Stanley Boyd (1920-71). The 1901 census records that Henry Johnston Boyd (43) lived in No. 13 Main Street with his wife Annie (36) and a number of his family. The house was recorded as a 1st class dwelling consisting of 13 inhabited rooms. The out offices to the rear of the house at that time were used as a stable, coach house and a cow house. The house was briefly occupied by the Revd. Charles Harkness of St. John’s Church in Kilwarlin in 1904 but in 1907 the house came into possession of the McCagherty family. The 1911 Census tells us that Robert McCagherty (29), a Presbyterian baker, occupied the house with his wife Margaret (30) and his two sons. In 1911 the house was let by Henry J. Boyd who was noted as the Landholder. By the fourth edition of the Ordnance Survey maps (1920-21) a large out office was depicted at the rear of the house; in 1911 the cow house from 1901 had been replaced with a piggery and a barn. Robert McCagherty was the last recorded occupant of the house by the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930.

In 1974 Brett described the house as ‘a pleasant modest two-storey stucco house with coach-arch, fanlight and most of its Georgian Glazing’ (Brett, p. 22). The house was listed in 1976 and in 1987 renovations were carried out on the property. In 1991 plans for a kitchen extension to the house were submitted for planning permission; this was granted and built shortly afterwards. The chimneys were repaired in 1997 and in 2000 the barn recorded on the 1911 Census was converted into a separate dwelling and in 2002 a rear extension was added to this new house (NIEA File). Field Research has found that the original coach house situated at the rear of the yard has been converted in a separate dwelling. At the time of writing the house is being sold by the current owners.

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 1856-64
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
15. Ulster Towns Directory (1901; 1911).

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. NIEA File – HB19/05/020.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

Mid terrace two-storey three-bay early nineteenth-century stone and brick house, set on the west side of Main Street Hillsborough. The house retains its original external appearance and carriage arch with the wheel-guard fixtures intact. Internally the house appears to have lost some of its original fabric but nonetheless retains its original layout and rear elevation. The house is an attractive component In the context of Main Street, Hillsborough and adds to the Georgian character of the terrace. With its historical associations with the Boyd family, a prominent local family who practiced as Doctors in Hillsborough for a number of generations, it contributes to the heritage of the area.

General comments

Listing Criteria R & S also apply.