71 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

End of terrace three-bay two-storey over part-basement with attic-storey rendered house, built c.1735. Rectangular on plan facing north on Main Street, with large west gable fronting onto Meeting Street having catslide roof to rear room and two-storey rendered outbuilding to rear garden.

Pitched natural slate roof with roll-moulded terracotta ridge tiles forming a catslide to rear with single gabled slate-hung dormer to rear pitch. Rendered chimneystack to either end with terracotta pots and half-round cast-iron guttering on iron drive-through brackets returning to the west gable with cast-iron downpipe. Painted ruled-and-lined rendered walling with rusticated render quoins to a slightly battered southwest corner. Rough-cast rendered to rear elevation. Square-headed window openings with masonry sills and timber sash windows.

Symmetrical three-bay two-storey front elevation. All window openings have moulded architrave surrounds with keystones and blocks to the sill. Tripartite Wyatt style timber sash windows, except the central opening having 6/6 timber sash window. Central round-headed door opening with moulded archivolt and keystone to impost mouldings and plain pilasters on plinth blocks. Original timber panelled door with six raised-and-fielded panels, brass door furniture, flanked by pair of slender pulvinated pilasters with diminutive Ionic capitals to stepped lintel architrave and original webbed fanlight. Door opens onto concrete step to the pavement.

Irregular west gable exposing all four floors and catslide roof with irregularly-placed square and segmental-headed window openings having 3/6 timber sash windows with exposed sash boxes. Square-headed door opening to basement level with steel-sheeted door.

Rear elevation rough-cast render walling with original 1/1 timber sash window at first floor level. Remaining windows generally replacement timber top hung or replacement timber casement.

Two-storey outbuilding to rear with pitched corrugated tin roof; east elevation painted render with door ground level and 3 no. timber sash windows at first floor ; 1 no. 4/4, 1 no. 3/3 and 1 no. 1/1; west elevation rubble stone with door centrally located and 2 no. timber sash windows at ground level ;1 no. 2/2 and 1 no. 1/2.

East side abutted by No. 69.

Small yard to rear accessed from Meeting Street with 2- storey outbuilding aligned along street; wrought iron gates north of outbuilding and modern metal gates south of outbuilding along street.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Ruled-and-lined render
RWG Cast-iron
Windows Timber sash

Historical information

Erected in the 18th century, it is possible to date the origins of this building as early as c.1735 during the towns early development, credited to the Rawdon family who owned the Moira Demesne during this period. (Rudd) However the internal decorative plaster and joinery are of a much later style, suggesting later Victorian improvements and remodelling.

The earliest OS maps from 1833 show the building as the end terrace at the junction of what are now called Main Street and Meeting Street. The Griffiths Valuation 1864 records the tenant as WJ Agnew, a farmer, who in addition to the house also rented land outside the village, from Sir Thomas Bateson, owner of the Moira Demesne.

Agnew remained in the premises, and following a comparatively short stay by Crooks form 93-99, Job Palmer, a shop keeper, took up the tenancy, which by this stage included the two adjoining properties. Palmer went on to establish his general store serving the village for many years, while taking up residence in number 73. The Annual Revision valuation 1909-20 indicate improvements and additional adjacent buildings, which increased to the properties value from £13.5.0 to £29.0.0.

In 1933 the R.V.Binders valuations describe Palmers house and store as; “well fitted shop. Modern front, electric light, good storage, situation good, repair good, house well fitted and in good repair.” In 1937 the same valuers record; “Extensive general stores, best position in Moira. No other comparable premises in Moira.” The success of Palmers Store was such that by 1938 the R.V.Binders where valuing the property as a house, shop, stores, filling station, weigh bridge yard and garden.

The outbuilding to the rear of the main house, described as a store in the 1980 conveyance map for no. 71 Main Street, was originally the end house of a small terrace of buildings indicated on the 1st edition county series map (1829-1835). Used as stores for Palmer's shop during the 20th century, the remainder of the terrace was demolished in the late 20th century.

The current owner has reported that this small rear outbuilding was originally a doss-house operated by Sarah? at a rate of 6d per night and subsequent to this was known locally as 'Dick's shed', Dick being a local postman/delivery man who resided there when unable to travel home.

The house at the time of survey 2010, was unoccupied, although in good condition, retaining all the characteristics of the former Georgian dwelling. New owners purchased the house in 2013.

References – Primary sources

1. PRONI VAL/1B/347 – Townland Valuation 1828-40
2. PRONI VAL/1A/3/13 – Field Map c.1830
3. PRONI VAL/2B/3/47A – Griffiths Valuation 1864
4. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7A – Annual Revisions 1866-78
5. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7B – Annual Revisions 1878-93
6. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7C – Annual Revisions 1894-08
7. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7D – Annual Revisions 1909-20
8. PRONI VAL/12B/21/7E – Annual Revisions 1920-29
9. PRONI VAL/12D/3/13A – Field Map 1863-79
10. PRONI VAL/12D/3/13C – Field Map 1895-14
11. PRONI VAL/12D/3/13E – Field Map 1925-35
12. PRONI VAL/12E – Field Map 1906-35
13. PRONI VAL/3D/4/12F/3 – R.V. Binders 1933-57

References – Secondary sources

14. Rudd, Canon CRJ - “Moira – A Historical Handbook” - Plantation Press Lisburn 674530 and Moira 619759 Undated

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This end of terrace three-bay two-storey symmetrical eighteenth-century house displays good Georgian style and proportions and later Wyatt style windows typical of the street. It retains its original residential use and appearance and has its original layout and some important early features such as an early eighteenth-century staircase, some raised-and-fielded timber panelled doors with surrounds and pegged roof trusses. The changes to the internal detailing during the late nineteenth-century and again in the 1930s, including the timber fire surrounds and joinery, add interest. The building, being part of an important terrace in the centre of the village set back from the main road, has group value with nos. 63 and 65 Main St. adjacent (HB19/22/038 and HB19/22/039) and is one of the more significant buildings on this stretch of the Main Street.