Legacurry Primary School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Now demolished (December 2012), at the time of the Second Survey (oct 2010) the decription of the building was as follows:

A vacant symmetrical single-storey school in the modern style; dated 1925 and located north of the Ballynahinch Road at the junction of Comber Road. Rectangular central section with hipped roof flanked by flat-roof side wings to east and west (lower); to L-shaped flat-roof extension to rear.

Hipped natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles terminating in finials. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods. Walling is painted roughcast render with stone eaves band and smooth rendered plinth. Windows are almost full-height to main elevation with masonry sills; all are timber boarded.

The principal elevation faces south and is six regularly spaced openings wide. To far left and right are side wings, each with round-headed niche having inscribed sandstone plaque; that to left reads: “THIS STONE WAS LAID BY LADY TURNER LADY MAYORESS OF BELFAST 15TH AUGUST 1925”. That to right reads; “THIS STONE WAS READ BY MRS O.B. GRAHAM OF LARCHFIELD 15TH AUGUST 1925”. Central plaque reads “THIS STONE WAS LAID IN MEMORY OF MR ANDREW MORROW BALLY(?) HOUSE 15TH AUGUST 1925”.

The west elevation is abutted by single-storey wing, having two windows to right and steel door to left in projecting reveal accessed by two masonry steps.

The north elevation is abutted by flat-roof extension two windows wide; slightly projecting to right with timber-framed window. To left is projecting bay with three windows wide.

The east elevation is abutted by single-storey wing with central timber-panelled door in projecting reveal; windows to left and right.

Setting:

Located on a prominent site at the junction of Ballynahinch Road and Comber Road; rectangular site lawned to north and west and enclosed by mature trees. Bounded to road by steel railings and roughcast gate piers with masonry caps on smooth rendered plinth. Decorative early steel gates to centre.

Roof: Hipped natural slate
Walling: Roughcast render
Windows: Boarded
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Legacurry Primary School was built in 1925 and replaced an earlier National Schoolhouse which had occupied the same site from at least 1858. ‘Legacurry National School’ first appeared on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858 where it was depicted as a rectangular shaped building located west of Legacurry Presbyterian Meeting House. Griffith's Valuation, however, tells us that the building was used as a private dwelling valued at 15 shillings in 1861 and which was let to a Mr. George Waterworth. The property continued to be privately occupied until it was replaced in 1925 by the current schoolhouse. It is clear from the maps and the valuation records that the National School and the house occupied the same plot of land suggesting that until the construction of the separate building in 1925 the school met in one of the houses outbuildings.

The new schoolhouse was constructed in 1925 in the Modern Style; a sandstone foundation stone tells us that construction began on the 15th August 1925 when the stone was laid by Lady Turner, the Lady Mayoress of Belfast. Commemoration stones were also laid on that date to commemorate the lives of Mrs. Ogilvie B. Graham of Larchfield House (HB 19/06/003A) and a Mr. Andrew Morrow (Andrew Morrow of Duneight House: HB 19/06/019A); the new primary school was opened on 28 February 1926 by the Rev. Robert Kelso.

Legacurry Primary School operated until 2010 when the South Eastern Education and Library Board implemented a policy to sell rural schools which were surplus to requirement. Legacurry Primary School is currently lying vacant since its closure as part of these fund saving measures (Antrim Times - 5 January 2010).

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/14/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/14/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/3/14/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1902-1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1919-1920
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/25C – Griffiths Valuation 1861
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/3A – Annual Revisions 1868-1876
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/3B – Annual Revisions 1877-1885
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/3C – Annual Revisions 1886-1896
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/3D – Annual Revisions 1897-1914
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/3E – Annual Revisions 1915-1929

Secondary Sources

1. Magowan, J. M., ‘Legacurry Presbyterian Church: Our Story’ (Pamphlet, 1993).
2. Antrim Times (2010)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Demolished during 2012. At the time of the Second Survey (Oct 2010) the building was a vacant symmetrical single-storey school in the modern style; built 1925 and located north of the Ballynahinch Road at the junction of Comber Road. Defined by strong symmetry and modernist influences typical of inter-war school building.

General comments

This record was completed without access to original source material held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.