Lisnashanker House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached seven-bay two-storey rendered country house of 18th century origins, largely remodelled late 19th century, facing south with earlier house to rear, built c.1750, functioning as a return to the house and forming a T-plan. Located on the south side of Redhill Road accessed by a long lane with two ranges of two-storey rubble outbuildings to the west. All in ruinous condition.

Hipped natural slate roof, black clay ridge tiles, pair of profiled rendered brick chimneystacks and ogee-moulded cast-iron rainwater goods. Painted ruled-and-lined lime rendered walling with rusticated rendered quoins to corners and plinth course. Plat band above ground floor to front elevation only and banded plain rustication below. Rough-cast lime render over redbrick and rubblestone walling to return. Square-headed window openings with stone sills and single-pane timber sash windows, unless otherwise stated.

Symmetrical seven-bay two-storey front elevation with central Doric portico. Architrave surrounds to first floor windows. Square-headed door opening (door missing) flanked by pair of Doric pilasters and advanced pair of Doric columns supporting architrave, cornice and blocking course above.

West side elevation is blank.

Rear north elevation abutted by lower gable-ended two-storey return, with a single bay to the west of return and two bays to the east.

East side elevation is blank.

Three-bay two-storey rendered return has pitched natural slate roof with redbrick chimneystack rising from north gable end. West elevation now obscured by ivy growth having small entrance porch. Pair of square-headed window openings to rear gable set within segmental-arched openings and 6/6 timber sash windows with exposed sash boxes. Further pair of 6/6 timber sash windows with exposed sash boxes to east elevation to first floor with three smaller square-headed window openings to the ground level with timber casement windows.

A short brick screen wall abuts the southwest corner of the front elevation and connects to two gable-fronted rubblestone outbuildings, the rear gables of which face into a former yard to the southwest with a further two-storey rubblestone and redbrick outbuilding enclosing the yard to the west. The twin-gabled range have pitched natural slate roofs with a single-storey lean-to wrapping around the north and east elevation. Some timber plank doors survive. The range to the west has recently collapsed with some iron machnery evident to the interior.

The lane exits the yard to the north passing the rear return to meet the lane leading to Redhill Road. To the east of the house is the remains of a more formal iron gate screen as the lane turns north.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Painted render
Windows Timber sash
RWG Cast-iron

Historical information

A building with the existing footprint on this site can be dated as early as c.1830, as it appears on the first edition OS maps of 1834, however owing to the late Victorian proportion and style of the facades and internal detailing, it is possible that the front part of the house had undergone a major restoration, or possibly a replacement of the whole dwelling, during the late 19th century. However, the remaining rear return is of early Georgian construction and character, suggesting that prior to any historic alterations, the original house may have existed from c.1750.

The Townland Valuation from 1835, identifies the occupier of the building as Alex McCay and valued the house and outbuilding at £14.7.0. The house stayed in the McCay family and recorded in the 1861 Griffiths Valuation as house, outbuildings and land valued at £71.0.16.

The McMurry family took up the tenancy in 1869, with Thomas McCay landlord, and added a warehouse to the yard. The Annual Revisions 1867-75 increased the value of the property to £105. By 1878, the house was subdivided between various tenants, although this only last a few years before house was finally vacated in 1883.

The house remained empty for approx. 7 years before it was sold to John Nicholson for £1950 in 1890. It is quite possibly that it was during this period that the house underwent the Victorian alterations, as a result of it being vacated for so many years. The house remained in the Nicholson name, and recorded in the R.V Binders valuations 1933-57 as being occupied by Samuel J. Nicholson. The valuers at the time described the house as a; “Superior farmhouse, situated 3 miles from Moira Village.”

At the time of the first survey c.1980, the house had found itself again lying vacant, and has remained so, at time of second survey 2010.

References – Primary sources

1. PRONI VAL/1B/346 – Townland Revisions 1828-40
2. PRONI VAL/1A/3/20 – Field Map c.1830
3. PRONI VAL/2B/3/46B – Griffiths Valuation 1861
4. PRONI VAL/2A/3/20A – Field Map 1861
5. PRONI VAL/12B/21/1A – Annual Revisions 1867-75
6. PRONI VAL/12B/21/1B – Annual Revisions 1876-88
7. PRONI VAL/12B/21/1C – Annual Revisions 1888-00
8. PRONI VAL/12B/21/1D – Annual Revisions 1901-08
9. PRONI VAL/12B/21/1E – Annual Revisions 1909-20
10. PRONI VAL/12B/21/1F – Annual Revisions 1920-29
11. PRONI VAL/12D/3/20A – Field Map 1860-78
12. PRONI VAL/12D/3/20C – Field Map 1878-90
13. PRONI OS/6/3/20/1 – OS map 1834
14. PRONI OS/6/3/20/2 – OS map 1858
15. PRONI OS/6/3/20/3 – OS map 1903
16. PRONI OS/6/3/20/4 – OS map 1916

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached seven-bay two-storey rendered country house added to a more modest eighteenth-century farmhouse. A good example of its type with a wealth of good joinery, plasterwork and an accomplished Doric portico, this house is a noteworthy building and its interest is enhanced by the development of styles between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The earlier house, which forms the return, is much rarer and retains, early features such as raised-and-fielded timber panelled doors and early timber sash windows with original linings. Despite its poor condition the house remains an important buildng and has local interest to the lisburn area.