Lisburn Post Office

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical two-storey frame construction post office depot, dated 1962, located to the south side of Market Square, Linenhall Road, Lisburn. The post office depot is rectangular on plan with flat roof and is aligned east-west. Principal two-storey block is abutted at south by single-storey double-height sorting office.

Flat roofs were not visible during survey, replacement uPVC rainwater goods at south. Precast reinforced concrete frame structure infilled with prefabricated concrete panels, stretcher-bonded concrete brick and concrete plinth. Windows are replacement uPVC casements; some pivot metal casement windows remain on the north elevation at first floor.

Principal elevation faces north and comprises eight bays, left bay contains original post office entrance at left (now closed and no longer open to the public) surmounted by decorative concrete brick panel and post office crest; next fours bays are identical and comprise large window surmounted by four pivot metal casements at ground floor and precast panel surmounted by four replacement uPVC windows at first floor; next two bays contain entrance at ground floor contained with precast concrete panels, first floor as previous four bays, end bay contains security block with single replacement entrance door at ground floor.

East elevation is abutted at ground floor by single-storey extension; exposed section has six fixed windows at first floor.

South elevation is abutted by single-storey double-height sorting office and abutted at east corner by tall brick chimney and access block; exposed section at first floor contains six replacement uPVC windows, that at right diminished.

West elevation is abutted by two-storey (lower) shop of little interest; exposed section is blank. West elevation of single-storey double-height sorting block has a scattered fenestration opening onto a vacant site at south of Market Square.

Single-storey double-height sorting office adjoins the south boundary wall of the site; the existing rubble stone wall is the remains of the former Linen Hall built c.1750.

Setting:

The post office depot is located to the south side of Market Square, Linenhall Road, Lisburn with post office parking at east and adjoining building at west.

Roof: Not visible during survey
Walling: Concrete brick and prefabricated concrete panels
Windows: Metal casements (largely replacement uPVC)
RWG: Replacement uPVC

Historical information

The post office first appears on the current Ordnance Survey map of Lisburn in 1962 where it is depicted as a square shaped building situated to the south of Lisburn’s Market Square on the Linenhall Road. The post office depot was constructed on the former site of Lisburn’s Linen Hall, a square walled-in area which was constructed c. 1750 and was later replaced by the Fowl and Butter Market in 1893 (Kee). The market stood until at least 1939 when it was last depicted on the fifth edition of the Ordnance Survey maps.
A date plaque indicates that No. 2 Linenhall Street was constructed in 1962. It operated as Lisburn’s main post office depot for nearly 40 years until its closure c. 2001. The Ulster Star records that the former Linenhall Street depot was replaced when the new ‘state of the art’ post office opened on 15 March 2001 at nos. 19-21 Market Square.

References
Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/68/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/1/68/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1857
3. PRONI OS/6/1/68/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1900
4. PRONI OS/6/1/68/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1920
5. PRONI OS/6/1/68/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1939
6. Ordnance Survey map 165-6 (1962)
7. Ulster Star Newspaper (2001)
Secondary Sources
1. Kee, F., ‘Lisburn miscellany’ Lisburn: Lisburn Historical Society, 1976.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An asymmetrical two-storey frame construction post office depot, dated 1962, located to the south side of Market Square, Linenhall Road, Lisburn. The post office depot is rectangular on plan with a flat roof and is aligned east-west. Principal two-storey block is abutted at south by single-storey double-height sorting office. Although the former public post office is no longer in use the building is a represenative example of a 1960's public building using as exposed structural frame with infill panels. It is not of sufficient interest to warrant listing.