32 Lisburn Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical three-bay, two storey late-Georgian mid-terraced house, built c.1800 and located on the west side of Lisburn Street in Hillsborough town centre. Rectangular on plan with single-storey flat-roof extension to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and red-brick chimneystack. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods. Walling is painted roughcast render with smooth render plinth and platband between first floor sills. Windows are replacement 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash with exposed sash box and horns in smooth rendered surrounds with projecting masonry sills.

The principal elevation faces east and is three openings wide, irregularly spaced. First floor has two windows to left of centre and one to right. Ground floor has, to right of centre, a raised-and-fielded six panel timber door with brass door furniture in smooth rendered surround, accessed via a shallow stone step; window to right and to far left.

The south elevation is abutted by adjoining building.

The west (rear) elevation is almost entirely abutted to ground floor by the single-storey flat-roof extension; to left is a window; three windows to first floor; two skylights to roof.

Setting:

Rear is accessed through carriage-arch of adjoining building to north; two-storey rubble stone mews buildings (recently restored) to north and west forming central paved courtyard.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Roughcast render
Windows: Replacement 6/6 timber-framed sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Although the First Survey Record records that No. 32 Lisburn Street was constructed pre-1771, no evidence can be found to support this; the house first appears on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey maps for Hillsborough in 1833 and the Townland Valuation map of c. 1830 where it is depicted as a small square building situated halfway up Lisburn Street. Lisburn Street is the oldest part of the town of Hillsborough, a c. 1800 map and c. 1803 illustrated plan of Hillsborough show that No. 32 Lisburn Street was constructed between c. 1800 and 1833 at which time Lisburn Street was named ‘Great Newport Street’ in reference to the construction of the Lagan canal in the late 18th century (Barry, p. 39). The majority of the current buildings on the northern half of the street were also constructed during this period.

The Townland Valuation of c. 1830 records that No. 32 was exempt from valuation as it was worth less than the minimum value of £3. In 1861 Griffith’s Valuation notes that James Philpot, a local farmer, let the house from the Marquis of Downshire at which time it was valued at £9 10s. The valuer described the house as a 1B+ class two-storey house measuring 9 by 7yds; the two-storey outbuilding at the rear of the house had been built by this time. Griffith’s Valuation records that Philpot also possessed a row of five single-storey dwellings at the rear of his house which were valued between £1 and £1 10s; Philpot let these houses at 10s weekly rent. Between 1861 and 1906 a large number of occupants resided in this row of houses which was named ‘Bachelors Lane.’ James Philpot continued to occupy No. 32 Lisburn Street until his death in July 1887 at which time he left effects of £276 13s. 10d. and the main house, to his wife Mary Philpot with instructions that a house on Bachelor’s Lane be given to each of his four eldest children (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 21 July 1887). However, it appears that the children did not require the use of these houses as four of the five buildings on Bachelor’s Walk were taken down by 1906 and the remaining house converted into an out office for the main house (although this has since been taken down sometime between 1920 and 1966).

The 1901 and 1911 Census records that after the death of her husband Mary Philpot lived alone at No. 32 Lisburn Street where she worked as a dressmaker. The Census Building Return states that the house possessed eight or nine rooms whilst the surviving outbuilding at the rear of the property was used to house a stable, cow house and a boiling house. Mary Philpot continued to reside at No. 32 Lisburn Street until her own death in March 1912 at which time she left effects of £246 8s. 7d. to be distributed by her son James Philpot (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 25 March 1912). With Mary Philpot’s death the house passed to a Mr. Arthur Law who was first recorded as occupant in 1914 and resided at No. 32 until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930. In his will James Philpot stated that his daughter Phoebe had married a Mr. Joseph Law however it is not known whether Arthur Law was a relation to Arthur Law and if No. 32 Lisburn Street remained in the family after Mary Philpot’s death in 1912.

No. 32 Lisburn Street remained unaltered until c. 1970 when the house came into the possession of the Housing Executive who renovated the building resulting in the loss of much original fabric. The First Survey image of No. 32 Lisburn Street shows that the house possessed sliding sash windows; however these have been replaced with more suitable Georgian glazing since 1973.

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 1833
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
15. Census of Ireland 1901 / 1911
16. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1887, 1912)
17. Ordnance Survey map 184-5 (1966)
18. First Survey Record – HB 19/05/051 (1973)

Secondary Sources

1. Barry, J., ‘Hillsborough: A parish in the Ulster plantation’ (3rd ed.), Belfast, Universities Press., 1982.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An asymmetrical three-bay, two storey late-Georgian mid-terraced house, built c.1800 and located on the west side of Lisburn Street in Hillsborough town centre. Reported in the first survey to be of eighteenth-century origins, the building has an early appearance with simply detailed main elevation with asymmetrical fenestration. The interior has been recently refurbished with little or no historic fabric remaining. Forming part of an early nineteenth-century terrace on one of the oldest streets in the town, number 32 contributes to the character of the street. Although of interest, as the building has replacement windows and has been significantly altered internally , it is not considered of special interest and to meet the criteria for listing.