Former Parochial House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 1½ storey 3-bay house with stuccoed walls and gabled slated roofs. Main entrance faces west.

Entrance elevation is symmetrical with one window to each side of a central doorway. Roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. Two chimneys of red brick with what looks like plain projecting concrete cornices; modern pots. Walling is smooth rendered and lined, with raised quoins to extremities; projecting moulded plinth; plain projecting frieze, moulded cornice; timber eaves board. PVC gutter and downpipe returning to north gable.
Windows are modern rectangular PVC fixed lights with top-hung vents, double glazed, incorporating internal glazing bars, to give appearance of 2 over 2 panes to resemble the original sashed windows. Windows set in raised lugged and heeled moulded surrounds which are surmounted by segmental pediments with drip mouldings and keystones; projecting stone cills. Doorway contains an original panelled door, incorporating shamrock motifs, set in a deep recess with a similar surround to windows; original ornamented knocker and handle. Two cement rendered steps to front door, bounded by low sandstone plinth walls, the one to the south now spalling.
Extending to the left is a screen wall to the yard, set back slightly: smooth rendered, lined and blocked, with rendered or concrete block copings.

North gable is smooth rendered and lined, with raised quoins to right-hand extremity. Plain timber barge boards to eaves. Two windows to first floor, modern rectangular PVC replacements set in plain unmoulded openings with a projecting stone cill. Ground floor area enclosed within small yard and hidden from normal view of exterior: whitened rubble stone walling.
Projecting from the gable, at the left-hand side is a single storey return, with roof slated as previous: north gable of return smooth rendered with raised quoins to left-hand extremity. Timber barge board to eaves. One window in north wall of return: modern rectangular timber fixed light with top-hung vent. West face of return has a similar window and a modern flush timber door; wall smooth rendered; PVC gutter and downpipe.

Inside faces of yard wall are whitened rubble stonework and smooth rendered, with a lean-to shelter all round the perimeter, supported on plain timber beams and timber post, with corrugated iron and preformed metal roofing.
Outer face of yard wall to north is smooth rendered with concrete copings; outer face to east is smooth rendered and lined, with painted stone copings; rectangular doorway contains a modern flush door set in a timber frame.

Rear elevation of house: roof slated as previous; wall smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with plain projecting plinth, and coved cornice; raised quoins to extremities; timber eaves board; PVC gutter and downpipe. Two windows to main block, one to ground floor and one to half landing of stairway: modern rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung vents; projecting stone cills. Extending to the right is the rear wall of the return, in the same plane, with same wall finish. Wall topped by a course of ridge tiles. One window at first floor level, similar to others on rear elevation.

South elevation: wall rendered as previous to entrance front; overhanging eaves similar to north gable; canted bay to ground floor with smooth rendered piers between windows; three windows, one to each face, modern rectangular PVC as previous to entrance front, set in moulded reveals. Moulded cornice with metal gutter and downpipe. Above canted bay is a pair of coupled windows, each one rectangular PVC as previous to entrance front, set in similar lugged and heeled surround surmounted by a segmental pediment.

SETTING: The building stands within the built-up area of the town within the extensive grounds of the Roman Catholic church. It stands with its north gable overlooking the main road, set back from it slightly within a grassed area. Its front overlooks a tarmac driveway and area leading from the roadway to the former church which is now redundant. Area bounded to the road by a basalt rubble wall, smooth rendered to the road, and plain iron railings on a low plinth, in which is set a gateway. Gateway comprises a pair of original spear headed iron gates mounted on plain square rendered piers with sandstone caps; area bounded to west, facing the house, by a hedge. To the rear of the house is the modern church built of basalt rubble.

Historical information

Built as the parochial house for St Macanisius' R.C. church; precise date of building not recorded but it appears for the first time on the OS map of 1903. It appears to be of late Victorian date.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1903, Co Antrim 43 (named 'Parochial House').

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), p 25.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This mid to late Victorian parochial house reatins its character despite the loss of some detail externally and internally. It contributes to the setting of the adjacent St McNissi's church and has group value with it.