37 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3-storey, 1-bay gabled house in a terrace, with the ground floor shopped. Main entrance faces north.

North elevation: pitched roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; chimney on left-hand gable, of red brick which is a rebuilding.
Walling is smooth rendered, painted. Windows are rectangular timber sliding sash, 8 over 8, without horns, with exposed sash boxes, set in plain reveals, one window to each upper floor.
Ground floor is smooth rendered, lined, with a projecting plinth, and contains a large rectangular shop window of plate glass and upper fixed lights and top-hung vents; concrete cill. To right of window is a doorway containing a rectangular panelled timber door set in a moulded timber surround, approached by 3 steps, the lower two of stone; plain iron railings to each side.
To each extremity of shop front and doorway is a panelled timber pilaster with finely detailed ornamentation which looks like new work, surmounted by a modern timber frieze with shop name, below a moulded cornice. Shaped brackets above pilasters.

Rear elevation: 4-storey, 2-bay, with twin gables; walling is rendered wet dash, with smooth cement rendered reveals and openings; pvc hopper with pvc downpipe discharging into cast iron hopper and cast iron downpipe. Windows are modern rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung vents. Iron fire escape stairway across face leading to a modern rectangular flush timber door. Rectangular timber ledged door in plain frame at ground level, with modern metal handle.

SETTING: The building stands within a terrace of houses and shops facing the main street. Rear yard is concreted and surrounded by rear returns of adjoining buildings.

Historical information

Precise date of building uncertain but a building appears on the site on the OS map of 1832.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 50.

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), p 9.

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a building originally of probably early 19th century date which despite external and internal alterations still has architectural and historic interest including group value with the two adjoining buildings.