91-93 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Originally two individual, two-storey single-bay mid-terrace Georgian townhouses built c.1735 located in the north east end of the main thoroughfare through the town of Moira between 89 and 95 Main Street. Now rectangular in plan form, the building operates as a single premises, numbered 91 to 93, through the introduction of openings in the party wall at ground and first floor levels.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles, with two brick chimneys having lead flashing and no pots, over the left hand side party wall with adjoining neighbour and centrally located. The rainwater goods are a mixed of cast iron ogee gutters fixed to single corbelled stone eaves detail with replacement extruded metal circular down pipes; all painted black. The walling is solid stone with the principal façade finished in a roughcast render painted off-white with smooth render plinth, quoins, bands and surrounds; painted black. To the rear elevation the walling is a naturally finished random rubble basalt with red brick 1 ½ flat arches over window and door openings, with some sections of the wall infilled with further red brick.

The windows are 6/6 timber sliding box sash with horns, painted white, with rectangular flat stone cills painted white to ground floor and black to first floor. The principal entrance door is a six-panelled timber door, top four panels glazed, painted black with a four paned fixed light over; modern brass ironmongery. The redundant front door of former 91 Main Street is a six-panelled timber door with a four paned fixed light over with cast-iron ironmongery. The rear doors are covered with galvanised metal sheets.

The principal elevation faces north and retains the characteristics of two individual town houses. Each building is asymmetrically arranged. The front door of former 91 Main Street is offset to the right hand side with ground floor window to the left and a single window to the first floor located centrally. The front door of number 93 is offset to the right hand side with ground floor window to the left and two windows to the first floor located over ground floor openings. Quoins flank either side of the buildings identifying them as a pair. Continuous rendered bands at cill level run across the façade of both building with matching surrounds decorated with an applied profile and a small diamond shaped roughcast detail centrally located in each of the window heads. Modern aluminium fascia signage is located over above the ground floor windows.

The left gable abuts the adjoining terrace building number 95.

The rear elevation faces south and retains both rear doors and windows to two individual buildings. Asymmetrically arranged with varying sized openings to the ground, first and attic levels.

The right gable abuts the adjoining terrace building number 89.

The building faces directly on to Main Street and is accessed off the associated footpath and is located mid terrace. The abutting terrace buildings are similar in size and scale, however vary in the applied finishes. To the rear a large unfinished yard exists serving a number of properties and accessed via a coach entrance, located at number 95 Main Street.

Roof Natural Slate
Walling Rough Cast with smooth render detail
Windows 6/6 single glazed timber sliding box sash
RWG Cast iron ogee gutter. Replacement downpipes extruded metal

Historical information

Built in c.1735, initially as two individual premises, during the early development of Moira, these buildings form 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) (Rudd)

The earliest OS Maps from 1833 show the buildings forming part of the terrace that ran continuous from the Courthouse to St Johns Parish, with large formal gardens to the rear.

The Annual Revision valuations 1866-78 record the buildings as 135 & 136 town of Moira. Both premises were valued as houses with gardens, although it was unlikely that the gardens where still being maintained as formal arrangements as the 1858 OS maps had already indicated.

Both houses went through a succession of tenants, however in 1883 the Rev John Berkeley became the tenant of number 135 and subsequently established the town’s ‘Reading Room’. It is unclear as to how long the reading room remained in use, although it would appear it did so until at least 1933 when the R.V.Binders 1933-57 valued the building again as a house. At this stage both buildings are reported to be in poor condition. The R.V. Binders recorder describes them individually as; “Very old house in bad repair, no modern conveniences, situation fair.”

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 pair of Georgian townhouses built c 1735, with alterations during early 19th century, subsequently converted into a single premises. The building retains its style and proportions, sliding sash windows and an internal vernacular-style staircase, which was relocated following the alterations to the original internal layout. Despite alterations to the interior planform, resulting in the loss of much of the internal architectural and historical features, externally the building still offers the characteristics of two individual townhouses with most of their details intact and in good condition. Located on the northern end of Moira Main street, the building is an integral part of and has group value with the historic terrace comprising nos. 77-101 Main St. (HB19/22/005A-M) and makes a positive contribution to the heritage of Moira

General comments

Incorporates Number 91 Main Street - previoulsy HB19/22/005I