47 Lisburn Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical two-storey three-bay end-terrace pebble-dash house, built c.1780 and located east of Lisburn Street in Hillsborough town centre. Rectangular on plan with two-storey return and an extension to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystacks, one with tall terracotta pots. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods. Walling is painted pebble-dash with smooth-rendered plinth, eaves course and render banding to north corner; plinth wall to north elevation. Windows are replacement 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash (diminished to first floor) in smooth rendered lugged surrounds with projecting masonry sills.

The principal elevation faces west and has three openings to each floor. To centre at ground floor is a four-panelled timber door (glazed section to top) in smooth rendered surround having decorative brass door furniture; accessed by set of five masonry steps facing south and enclosed by decorative cast-iron railings and latch gate.

The north elevation has a window at left to first floor.

The east elevation is partially concealed. Return to right with window to first floor. Extension to right is full-height and gabled to centre with window at first floor; lower section to right has gently sloping roof with window to first floor.

The south elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB19/05/062B.

Setting:
Corner-sited and street-fronted between Lisburn Street and Wapping lane. Vehicular access to rear through modern timber arch-headed gates; bounded to road by modern-red-brick wall and timber fence. Rear garden currently undergoing landscaping.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Painted pebble-dash
Windows: Replaceme timber sliding-sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

No. 47 Lisburn Street first appears on a c. 1800 map and an illustrated plan of Hillsborough dated c. 1803 both of which depict it as an oblong building, which possessed a small rear return, situated at the corner of Lisburn Street and Wapping Lane. Lisburn Street is the oldest part of the town of Hillsborough and was developed between c. 1800 and c. 1830 when a number of buildings on the northern half of the street were constructed; at this time Lisburn Street was known as ‘Great Newport Street in reference to the construction of the Lagan Canal in the late eighteenth century (Barry, p. 39). No. 47 Lisburn Street is one of the earlier Georgian houses that was constructed in the mid to late 18th century before the later development of the street.

The first edition of the Ordnance Survey maps in 1833 and the Townland Valuation map of c. 1830 shows little change to the building although it then possessed two small outbuildings situated in the rear yard. The Townland Valuation records that the house was occupied by a Mr. James Stephenson who let the property, which was then valued at £8 8s. from the Marquis of Downshire. Between c. 1830 and 1861 the house passed to a Mr. Henry Ellis who was recorded as a former occupant in the 1861 Griffith’s Valuation. In the same year the valuer noted that a Mr. James Dagg had taken over the property which was then valued at £11 10s. The valuer described the building as a 1B+ class dwelling which measured 10 by 6yds and was two-storeys in height. In 1885 the house was increased in valued to £13 10s. when an extension was added to the rear of the house connecting the rear outbuildings to the dwelling. Dagg continued to occupy No. 47 Lisburn until his death on 15 March 1901 at which time he left the house and effects of £3,079 0s. 3d. to his widow Jane Dagg (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 15 March 1901).

With her husband’s death Jane Dagg vacated the house and retired to ‘Rhoda Lodge’ outside of Hillsborough until her own death in 1928. The house on Lisburn Street passed to a Mr. James W. Hatch in 1901; the census of that year tells us that Hatch (48) was a Petty Sessions Clerk who resided at No. 47 Lisburn Street with his wife Isabella (47) and their three children. The Census Building Return describes the house as a 1st class private dwelling which possessed 11 rooms. The 1911 Census tells us that the outbuildings at the rear of the house were used to house a stable and coach house as well as a number of small stores, a coal house and a washhouse; however the rear outbuildings have since been taken down. James Hatch resided at No. 47 Lisburn Street until his death in 1917 at which time the house passed to his daughter Georgina Hatch who occupied the property until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930. Isabella Hatch died in September 1934 and it can only be assumed that she continued to reside at the house on Lisburn Street in the care of her daughter until the time of her death (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 3 March 1917; 5 September 1934).

In recent years the rear offices of No. 47 Lisburn Street have been taken down; this occurred sometime after 1966 when the offices can still be viewed on the Ordnance Survey map of that year. The house continues to be occupied and is in a good state of repair.

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
15. Census of Ireland 1901 / 1911
16. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1917; 1934)
17. Ordnance Survey Map 184-5 (1966)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A symmetrical two-storey three-bay end-terrace Georgian house, built c.1780 and prominently sited at the corner of Wapping Lane and Lisburn Street in Hillsborough town centre. The most modified in a block of three with replacement timber sash windows throughout and an extension to rear. Displaying proportions and detailing typical of the period, number 47 retains an early appearance. Although of interest, as the windows have been replaced and there are alterations to the rear and interior, it is not considered suitable for listing.

General comments

The record was renumbered from HB19/05/062.