Comtrol

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

End of terrace, street-fronted, five-bay, two-storey, rendered former house, built c.1860, with facade details and shopfront added c.1910. Rectangular on plan, facing south with stucco-fronted shopfront to the ground floor, two-storey rear return and lean-to rear extension. Extensively renovated c.1990.

Pitched natural slate roof, black-clay ridge tiles, cast-iron rainwater goods, original profiled rendered chimneystack to the west, replacement redbrick chimneystack to the east gable. Painted ruled-and-lined cement rendered walling with symmetrical neo-classical stucco shopfront spanning entire ground floor. Square-headed window openings with replacement timber sash windows and concrete sills. Square-headed door opening with moulded reveals and replacement double-leaf timber panelled doors, rectangular overlight and decorative ventilation panel over.

Five-bay front elevation with square-headed window openings having replacement pre-cast moulded surrounds, replacement concrete sills and replacement horizontally-glazed 2/2 timber sash windows. Replacement symmetrical decorative stucco shopfront comprising: central square-headed door opening flanked by two pairs of square-headed display windows on continuous moulded sills, divided by simple pilasters to a continuous lead-lined fascia with dentilated cornice and dentilated central pediment , all flanked by original paired console brackets to either end with lead-lined gablets. Display windows are timber-framed fixed-pane with decorative plywood ventilation panels above.

West gable abutted by first floor to adjoining house with shared carriage arch having double-leaf timber sheeted doors. Single square-headed door opens into carriageway with replacement timber panelled door. Rear elevation abutted by two-storey return with lean-to rear entrance porch to west and lean-to extension to east. Square-headed window openings and door openings with replacement timber sash windows (as per front elevation) and replacement timber panelled doors.

Multi-bay two-storey redbrick former stable block to rear, built c.1900, L-shape on plan with pitched artificial slate roof, replacement timber casement windows and timber/ steel sheeted doors.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Ruled-and-lined cement render
Windows Replacement timber sash
RWG Cast-iron

Historical information

The building is not shown on the second edition OS map of 1858 but is listed in Griffith’s Valuation of 1862, which suggests a building date of c1860. It is also drawn onto the valuation town plan of c1859. Griffith’s lists it as a house and garden leased by John Graham from the Marquis of Hertford, valued at £7.5s for the building, and its neighbour to the west which appears to have been built at the same time.

The building remains in the Graham family, at least until 1889, but there is a gap in the valuation record at this point. By 1923, the two houses are separately valued and W.J. Allen is in residence in the current building which is now a licensed house, office, shed and yard valued at £16, the rise in valuation suggesting that some remodelling has taken place and this is consistent with field inspection which indicates remodelling of the facade c1910. No 23 is occupied by W J Allen and is a house and yard valued at £13. A town plan dating from 1907 to c1935 names the licensed house as the ‘Coach Arms’. Maps up to 1935 show the post office as being located elsewhere in the village.

By 1928 James Crothers is the occupier of the licensed house while W J Allen remains in the neighbouring house.

After 1933 George Crothers is in residence but the house is now rented from Lambeg, Bleaching, Dyeing and Finishing Works. It is a former licensed house that is now a house, shop, offices and yard, valued at £16 and raised to £26. On the ground floor there are three bedrooms and a box room, on the first, shop, reception and scullery. It is noted that the gateway belongs to this house, rather than its neighbour.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/64/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
2. PRONI OS/6/1/64/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1
3. PRONI OS/6/1/64/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1920-31
4. PRONI OS/6/1/64/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1920-39
5. Printed Griffith’s Valuation – Union of Lisburn (1862)
6. PRONI VAL/2/D/1/15 – Griffith’s Valuation Town Plan (c1859)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/7A-D – Annual Revisions (1867-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/1/14H/4 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)
9. PRONI VAL/3/G/25/1/1-3 – First General NI Revaluation Maps (1935-53)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Five-bay two-storey stucco-fronted end of terrace building with decorative stucco shopfront, built c.1860. While the exterior of this former post-office retains its original appearance, closer inspection reveals the fact that all original fabric has been replaced in the refurbishment works carried out c.1990. To the exterior the only original elements are the rendered chimneystack to the west and the paired console brackets to the shopfront. The interior has also had all original fabric replaced except for the compartmented timber ceiling to the former retail space with all floors, walls, ceilings and joinery replaced. While the loss of all original fabric is regrettable, the overall impression of an early twentieth-century commercial building remains intact, and all replacement fabric is of sufficient quality and specification to warrant its continued status as a listed building. Still referred to as the Post Office, this local landmark is also of some social significance