38-40 Main Street,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Terraced three-bay three-storey house, built c.1790, facing west and located at the south end terrace in a row of five houses to the east side of Main Street, comprising a commercial unit to ground floor and apartment conversion above. Rectangular on plan with extensions and attached outbuilding to rear.

The roof is pitched natural slate and semi-circular ridge tiles and timber eaves board. Painted roughcast chimney stack to south gable, and second to party wall. The walls are painted roughcast with straight-channelled rendered quoins and smooth rendered plinth. Replacement timber painted 6/6 sliding sash windows with exposed boxes and painted masonry cills with smooth rendered chamfered window surrounds to first and second floor.

The principal is asymmetrical, three-bays wide with wider south bay. Commercial unit to all ground floor bays with shop front comprising single leaf hardwood four panel door to central bay, double window to right and ATM machine to left set within original window opening. All surmounted by timber panelled shop front comprising timber sides and signage panel above. Window in each bay at both first and second floor.

The rear elevation has single timber casement window openings second floor. To right is a two-storey extension detailed as main block with cat-slide roof. To left and partially abutting the extension is a one and a half storey annex also detailed as main block with wall head dormer window; this is further extended by a slightly lower outbuilding range. There is a lean-to porch to internal angle of extension and annex. All doors are modern replacements.

South gable is blank.

The house is bound to north by No.34 (HB20/01/008C) and two storey outbuilding and random rubble wall to the north and east sides. Bound to the south by other outbuildings associated with neighbouring property No.42. The yard is accessible from Main Street by narrow alley way between buildings no.40 and no.42.

The outbuilding has segmental headed coach-arch facing north.

Roof covering Artificial Slate
Walling Roughcast render
Windows Timber framed casement windows with top hung opening
Door Replacement timber
Rainwater goods uPVC

Historical information

The building appears on the 1st edition OS map, dated 1833. By the 1857 OS Map the building appears slightly enlarged. The Townland Valuation of 1836 marks the building as the house and offices of Mr Patrick Mackel. It appears to be listed as an Inn on the Townland Valuation map but numbering is unclear. The OS memoir, 1836, above states that the inn was a two-storey building, while 008E is three storey. The precise history of individual buildings is therefore unclear.

The OS Memoir for the area states that in 1836, Toome consisted of 26 buildings - 2 three-storey (which includes this building), 11 two-storey and the rest cottages (pg 112). According to the OS memoirs, the market house (HB20/01/008A) was built in 1786 (p.112). The proportions and styles of the block of buildings HB20/01/008A-E suggest that they are of similar date, forming part of the historic core of the village of Toome, situated east of a quay recorded on the 1833 OS.

Materials for the construction of houses in Toome were locally sourced; stone was from nearby Carn rock, the lime was sourced from Magherafelt, slates from Ballyronan and Belfast and timber from Belfast (OS memoirs, 116).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/42/1, 1st Edition OS Map, Co. Antrim, sheet no.42, 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/1/42/2, 2nd Edition OS Map, Co. Antrim, sheet no.42, 1857
3. PRONI VAL/1A/1/42, Townland Valuation Map, 1836
4. PRONI VAL/1B/185, Townland Valuation Fieldbook, 1836
5. OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Co Antrim VI 1830, 1833, 1835-38 (South west Antrim) Vol 19

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
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

An substantial terraced three-bay three-storey house, built c.1790, facing west and located at the south end terrace in a row of five houses to the east side of Main Street, Toome; comprising a commercial unit to ground floor and apartment conversion above. Remodelled and extended in more recent years, particularly to the rear of the property. The interior has also been largely modified and no original details remain. Together with its companions, it forms the historic core of Toome.

An attractive terraced three-bay three-storey house, built c.1790, facing west and located at the south end terrace in a row of five houses to the east side of Main Street, Toome; comprising a commercial unit to ground floor and apartment conversion above. Remodelled and extended in more recent years, particularly to the rear of the property. The interior has also been largely modified and no original details remain, however the appealing traditional characteristics of the façade remain and serve as a reminder of the early town community, a significant contribution to the architectural heritage of the area.