89 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey mid-terrace Georgian townhouse, L-shaped plan form, built c.1735, over basement, with attic and two storey return to the rear, located at the northeast end of the principal thoroughfare through the town of Moira, between numbers 87 and 91-93 Main Street.

The roofing is pitched natural slate with clay ridge tiles with a clipped verge to the left hand side. Cast-iron rainwater goods with semi-circular guttering and circular down pipe painted black, with extruded metal and uPVC rainwater goods to the rear and extension. The walling is rendered with a natural finished roughcast with smooth rendered plinth, quoins, surrounds and banding; painted off-white. The rear elevation is finished with a smooth render with the return finished in a self finished roughcast. The windows are single glazed, 6/6 Georgian timber sliding box sash windows with horns, painted white, with large rectangular stone cills and continuous banding between the cills level at both ground and first floor. The windows to the original rear elevation match the front; extension windows generally smaller 4/4 timber sliding sash with pre-cast concrete cills. The front entrance door is a six panelled timber door with cast iron ironmongery with a decoratively arranged horizontal lattice glazing bar fixed light over.

The principal elevation faces north and is asymmetrically arranged with the front entrance located on the left hand side, accessed by a series of steps running parallel to the façade with a metal hand rail. Two matching windows to the right hand side of the door with three windows uniformly arranged to the first floor. The wall finish surrounding the right hand side ground floor window is distinctly different from the rest of the façade highlighting the location of an original coach entrance associated with the building.

The left hand gable faces east and abuts number 91-93 Main Street, Moira.

The rear elevation faces south with a subservient two-storey single bay, modern gable ended return to the right hand side.

The right hand gable faces west and abuts number 89 Main Street, Moira.

The building faces directly on to the principal road through Moira with direct entrance off the footpath, via concrete steps and metal railings (20th century). The large rear unfinished yard shared by multiple owners is accessed via the coach entrance located at number 95 Main Street.

Roof Natural Slate
Walling Rough Cast natural finish with smooth render detail
Windows 6/6 single glazed timber sliding box sash
RWG Cast iron with uPVC to rear

Historical information

Built in c.1735 during the early development of Moira, this building forms part of the two-storey Georgian terraces which line the Main Street. This development of the town from mud and clay dwellings to stone and brick buildings is credited to the Rawdon family and it is widely accepted that the completion of the village is inscribed on a date stone, located on a neighbouring building, which bears the date 1735. (Hearth)

“Harris described in 1744 as a 'well laid out and thriving village consisting of one broad street inhabited by many traders many of whom carry on linen manufacture to good advantage'” (Rudd)

89 Main Street appears on the first edition OS maps of 1833 as part of the long terrace stretching from the Courthouse to St Johns Parish Church. Like all of the adjoining properties, number 89 was illustrated with having a large formal garden to the rear.

The Annual Revisions valuation 1866-78 record the premises as a house with outbuildings and a garden, and by 1868 was occupied by Sir Thomas Bateson, who also owned the Moira Demesne. Neither the gardens or the outbuildings remain.

Although unlikely to have actually lived in 89, the Bateson family were recorded to have occupied the building until the R.V.Binders Valuations in 1939 record the tenancy to be taken on by “The board of Guardian of Lurgan Union”. The landlord by this stage was Lord Deramore.

Wm L Morwood took over the tenancy shortly after “The board of Guardian of Lurgan Union” and converted it back into a dwelling house. The Morwood family remained in occupancy until 1987, and it was sometime during this period that the coach entrance as indicated on the plans illustrated on the R.V.Binder records, was incorporated into the building. Evidence on repairs works to the building itself also suggests this. (R.V.Binder 1933-57).

In the early 1990’s, during a period of restoration to many of the terrace buildings in Moira, number 89 was converted into offices and studios. (3rd General Revaluation Lists) It is likely that the two –storey return was added to the building during this restorative work.

References - Primary sources

1. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7A - Annual Revisions 1866-78
2. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7B – Annual Revisions 1878-93
3. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7C – Annual Revisions 1894-08
4. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7D – Annual Revisions 1909-20
5. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7E – Annual Revisions 1920-29
6. PRONI VAL/12D/3/13A – Annual Revisions Map 1863-79
7. PRONI VAL/12D/3/13C– Annual Revisions Map 1895-14
8. PRONI VAL/12D/3/13E– Annual Revisions Map 1925-35
9. PRONI VAL/12E – Annual Revisions Map 1906-35
10. PRONI OS/6/3/13 - OS Map 1833
11. PRONI OS/6/3/13 - OS Map 1858
12. PRONI OS/6/3/13 - OS Map 1904
13. PRONI OS/6/3/13 - OS Map 1916
14. PRONI VAL/3D/4/12F/4 - RV Binders Val. 1933-57
15. PRONI VAL/14A/183/12 - 3RD General Revaluation Lists 1975
16. PRONI VAL/14B/256/11A - 3RD General Revaluation Lists 1976 – 1987
17. PRONI VAL/14C/248- 3RD General Revaluation Lists 1987 – 1993

References – Secondary sources

18. Canon CRJ Rudd – Moira: A Historical Handbook - Plantation Press Lisburn 674530 and Moira 619759 c.1992
19. Hearth - www.hearth-housing.org.uk

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey three-bay townhouse built c. 1735, with 19th century alterations, which retains its Georgian proportions. Adjacent to and under the same roof as the larger house at no. 87 Main St.(HB19/22/005G), with its high ridge line and formally arranged façade, the two buildings dominate and have group value with this section of the historic terrace comprising of nos. 77-101 Main St. (HB19/22/005A-M). Historically a coach entrance existed to the right side, however alterations have sought to maxamize the ground floor area by incorporating it internally. Although internally the building has lost most of its original fabric and a rear return has been added, it retains its special character externally and makes a positive contribution to the terrace and the heritage of Mian Street, Moira.