28-30 Railway Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid terrace former pair of two-storey rendered houses, built c.1880, now converted into a single commercial unit. Rectangular on plan facing west lining the east side of Railway Street. L-plan range of painted brick two-storey former outbuildings to the rear of No.30 and a detached two-storey painted brick former outbuilding.

Pitched artificial slate roof with synthetic ridge tiles, a redbrick chimneystack to the north and rendered chimneystack to the centre. Ogee-moulded cast-iron guttering on eaves corbels. Painted ruled and lined rendered walling with projecting render plinth course. Square-headed window openings with painted masonry sills, hood mouldings and decorative label stops and replacement timber sash windows.

Front elevation is six windows wide with a large modern shopfront to the south building having fixed-pane display window and an enlarged square-headed entrance to the north building with double-leaf hardwood panelled doors.

North elevation abutted by adjoining building No.32.

Rear elevation abutted by full-height timber sheeted projection and a single-storey wing attached to the L-plan brick outbuilding.

South elevation abutted by adjoining building No.26.

Setting:
Formerly two houses, this unit forms part of a terrace of four similarly detailed buildings lining the east side of Railway Street. To the rear of No.30 is an L-plan range of two-storey brick former outbuildings with pitched natural slate roof, timber sash windows and sheeted timber doors. A further detached two-storey brick former outbuilding, also to No.30 retains its original timber sash windows with a decorative lincrusta ceiling to the ground floor room, coved cornice and architrave surrounds to the window openings.

Roof Fibre cement slate
RWG Cast-iron/plastic
Walling Painted ruled and lined rendered
Windows Replacement timber sliding-sash

Historical information

Nos. 28 and 30 Railway Street first appear on the third edition of the Ordnance Survey map for Lisburn (c. 1900) which depicts the houses as two oblong buildings, on the north side of Railway Street, each possessing a lengthy return or outbuilding to their rear; however, it is likely that both houses were constructed prior to c. 1885 as a photograph of Railway Street from that date clearly shows the two-storey houses (Kelly, p. 4).

These two-storey buildings were principally used as private dwellings; the 1910 Ulster Towns Directory records that No. 28 Railway Street was occupied by a Mr. James Bullick, whilst No. 30 was occupied by a Moses Bullick. Moses Bullick (66), an Anglican painter and decorator, had occupied No. 30 Railway Street from at least 1901 when the census of that year recorded he lived at that address with his wife Elizabeth (72) and their son (similarly named Moses and also a decorator by trade). The Census Building Return described No. 30 Railway Street as a 2nd class dwelling which consisted of 11 rooms and possessed eight out offices including a stable, barn and a number of workshops. Moses Bullick continued to occupy No. 30 Railway Street by the 1911 Census which records that he lived at the address with his granddaughter. In 1911 No. 28 Railway Street was occupied by James Bullick (44) another son of Moses Bullick, a ‘general contractor’ who lived at this address with his wife Katie (44) and their seven children. The 1911 Census Building Return described No. 28 Railway Street as a 2nd class dwelling which contained eight rooms and did not possess any out offices; there was no change to No. 30 Railway Street on the 1911 Census Building Return. Moses Bullick continued to occupy No. 30 Railway Street until his death in 1916 at which time he left effects of £2,736 16s. 4d. to his sons Moses, James and Ezekiel (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 14 December 1916).

In recent years nos. 28 and 30 Railway Street have been converted into a single property; this appears to have occurred after 1962 as the Ordnance Survey map of that year continues to depict two separate properties. Nos. 28-30 Railway Street currently operates as the business premises for a travel agency. Field inspection finds that No. 30 Railway Street still possesses its original L-shaped outbuilding whilst a modern two-storey return has been constructed to the rear of No. 28 since the 1962 Ordnance Survey map.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/68/1 – First edition OS map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/1/68/2 – Second edition OS map 1857
3. PRONI OS/6/1/68/3 – Third edition OS map c.1900
4. PRONI OS/6/1/68/4 – Fourth edition OS map 1920
5. 1901 / 1911 Census
6. Ulster Towns Directory (1910)
7. Ordnance Survey map 165-6 (1962)

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘List of historic buildings, buildings of architectural importance in the Borough of Lisburn’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1969).
2. Kelly, J. A., ‘Footprints on the sands of time: A history of Railway Street Presbyterian Church, Lisburn 1860 – 2008’ Lisburn: Presbyterian Church in Ireland, 2008.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Mid terrace former pair of two-storey rendered houses, built c.1880, now converted into a single commercial unit. The building is of interest and contributes to the historic character of Railway Street; As it has been extensively renovated for its current commercial use, it does not meet the criteria necessary for listing.

General comments

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