15 Market Square East

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A three-storey over basement, four-bay mid-terrace Georgian townhouse (now commercial) probably originating in the late 18th or early 19th century; largely renovated in 2002; rectangular plan form with a modern three storey rear return. Located east of the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum in the city centre; north of the junction between Bridge Street and Market Square.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles; red-brick chimneys with corbelled upper courses; no pots. uPVC replacement rainwater goods. Ruled-and-lined cement rendered walling. Replacement double-glazed 6/6 timber sliding sash windows; masonry cills and moulded surrounds. The front door forms part of modern ground floor alterations.

The principal elevation faces east; the ground floor has been completely modified with a modern timber and glazed frontage opening up directly onto the street; non illuminated signage throughout. Awning fixed full width across between ground and first floor. The first and second floors are symmetrically arranged, four windows wide; continuous cill course at first floor. The second floor windows are diminished in scale with individual cills.

The left gable is abutted by 11&13 Market Square HB19/16/25.

The rear elevation is abutted by a two-and-a-half storey, full width gabled return with a variety of window openings throughout and of no significant interest.

The right gable is abutted by 17Market Square.

Setting:

The building is prominently situated in the centre of the city, forming part of a terrace of similar styled three-storey buildings facing directly onto the market house. To the rear of the site is a large graveyard belonging to Lisburn Cathedral (HB19/16/001).

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Cement rendered
Windows: Replacement double glazed timber sliding sash
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

The town of Lisnagarvey, as it was known until the 1660s, was first established in the early seventeenth century when James I granted Sir Fulke Conway the south Antrim manor of Killultagh. Sir Fulke established the headquarters of his Killultagh estates at Lisburn and began to lay out its foundations in the early 1620s (Mackey, p.1) By 1640 the town had been laid out very much along its present lines, with a central market place and streets radiating from it. (Mackey, p.x) After a disastrous fire in 1707, the town was quickly rebuilt to its former street plan using improved materials, brick replacing wood and slates and tiles replacing shingles. Rebuilding was encouraged in the aftermath of the fire by Lord Conway who granted forty-one year leases on the waste holdings. (Ulster Star 20/04/2007; Mackey, p.4)

A building on the site is shown on Pattison’s 1833 map of the area but an exact date for the current premises could not be established. Nothing is known of its early history and the building could not be identified in Griffith’s Valuation or census records.

The building is currently in use as a bar.

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 c1900
4. PRONI OS/6/1/68/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1921
5. PRONI OS/6/1/68/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939

Secondary Sources

1. Mackey, Brian “Lisburn, the Town and its People, 1873-1973” Belfast: Blackstaff Press, 2000
2. Ulster Star 20/04/2007

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A three-storey over cellar, four-bay mid-terrace Georgian townhouse (now commercial premises) probably originating in the late 18th or early 19th century; largely renovated in 2002. The external façade has retained some of its historical character on the upper floors with the later addition of large double glazed door screens at ground level, as part of the conversion of the building to commercial use. The interior has been completely modernised retaining little historic fabric of interest. The building makes a contribution to the adjoining historic terrace but is considered to be too altered to meet the criteria for listing.

General comments

This record was completed without access to the primary source material held by PRONI