43 Lisburn Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical two-storey three-bay end-terrace house, built c.1800 and located east of Lisburn Street in Hillsborough town centre. Rectangular on plan with a two-storey return to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystacks. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods. Walling is painted ruled-and-lined render. Windows are tripartite 3/3 with horns to ground floor; 2/2 to first floor, all with projecting masonry sills.

The principal elevation faces west and has three openings to each floor. To centre at ground floor is a timber door having six raised-and-fielded panels, transom light with glazing bars and margin panes, and brass door furniture; set into a reveal with smooth rendered moulded surround and accessed by a single stone step with cast-iron boot scrapers.

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

The east (rear) elevation is viewed from the road, and is largely concealed; abutted at right by two-storey return with rendered chimneystack.

The south elevation is blank.

Setting:
Set back from the road with paved pathway to front; neighbouring building to south recently demolished, steel supporting rods connect the building to number 41.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Ruled-and-lined render
Windows: 3/3 with margin panes and 2/2 timber-framed sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

No. 43 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 with a rear return, situated at the northern end of Lisburn Street and occupied at that time by a Mrs. Thompson. Lisburn Street, the oldest part of the town of Hillsborough, witnessed a period of development between c. 1800 and c. 1830 when a number of the 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. 43 Lisburn Street is therefore a remnant of the earlier street and was likely built in the mid to late 18th century before the later development.

The Townland Valuation map (c. 1830) and the first edition of the Ordnance Survey maps in 1833 depict the house with a large return (or outbuilding) at the rear of the building; the contemporary Townland Valuation records that a Mr. James [Pascoe] occupied the house which was valued at £8 8s. at that time. It is not known who occupied the house between c. 1830 and 1861, however by the latter year a Mr. John McClure had come into possession of the property. Griffith’s Valuation records that the house was valued at £10 5s. in 1861 and was a 1B+ class dwelling which measured 9 by 6yds and possessed three two-storey outbuildings. John McClure died c. 1878 at which time the house briefly passed to a Mr. John Wardle who occupied the house until 1883; in 1880 the house was purchased from the Marquis of Downshire by a Mr. George Nelson who let the house out to tenants until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930. The house continued to change hands a number of times until 1891 when a Mr. Henry Smith came into possession, residing at the house until 1915. The 1901 Census tells us that Smith (49) was an Assistant Linen Factory Manager who lived at No. 43 Lisburn Street with his wife Mary Jane (48) and their two sons. The Census Building Return of that year describes the house as a 1st class private dwelling which possessed 11 rooms and no out offices although the 1911 Census recorded a fowl house and store as the sole outbuildings; the three two-storey outbuildings appear to have been taken down at some stage between 1861 and 1901.

By 1915 the house had fallen vacant although in 1917 it passed to a Mr. John McCutcheon who briefly occupied the building; over the next ten years No. 43 Lisburn Street passed to a number of occupants until in 1925 a Mr. Thomas J. Walker came into possession, residing at the house until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930. No. 43 Lisburn Street has lain vacant for some years and is planned to be converted into a number of apartments.

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. Ulster Towns Directory (1910)

Secondary Sources

1. ‘Gravestone Inscriptions: Vol. 18 Co. Down’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1979.
2. 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

A symmetrical two-storey three-bay vacant terrace house, built c.1800 and located east of Lisburn Street in Hillsborough town centre. Retaining some of its original character externally, internally the detailing has been lost and the floor-plan has been altered. Forming part of a largely intact eighteenth-century terrace on the approach to Hillsborough town centre, it contributes to the historic character of the street. Although interesting it is not considered suitable for lising, as the ground floor windows have been altered and the interior has been extensively refurbished.