54 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey, three-bay smooth cement rendered and painted building, with a chimney stack on either gable, formerly a house but now converted to an office. Main entrance faces north in a central projecting two-storey porch, now gabled but originally flat-roofed.
Entrance has a moulded elliptical arch containing slim Ionic columns, altered near each base with square section replacement portions, and a plain elliptical fanlight; panelled timber door, looks new. Above entrance is a rectangular timber window, small-paned fixed light incorporating a top-hung panel, modern replacement for original three-light timber sashed window, set in Tudor label moulding. Lower windows in sides of porch are semi-circular headed sliding sashes, 2 over 2, without horns; upper windows are four-pane fixed lights with label mouldings. One rectangular timber window to each floor in entrance front to each side of porch: to the right, original three-light vertically hung sliding sashes, without horns, 6 over 6 to centre lights and 2 over 2 to side lights; to the left modern replacement windows as on first floor of entrance porch, all set in square moulded openings. Windows to east gable and rear elevation are modern replacements for originals, not to original pattern.

SETTING: The building stands on a corner site facing the main street in the village, with its front entrance opening onto the pavement but the side bays set back, with original iron railings enclosing the small area to each side of the porch. Abutting the west gable is a lower gabled, narrow two-storey house with a flush wall plane which has rusticated quoins to the right hand extremity, and similar square moulded surrounds to a window, as though originally associated with this building but now separate premises.

Historical information

Precise date of construction not known but appears on OS map of 1832-3. Became a Credit Union in 1989.

References - Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832-3, Co Antrim 59.

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, West Antrim (Belfast, 1970), p 8 (entry no 5).
2. C. Watson, The Story of the United Parishes of Glenavy, Camlin and Tullyrusk (Belfast, 1892), p 48 (illustrates a photograph of the Main Street in Crumlin showing the building with a flat roofed porch).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is an example of an early 19th century building which has suffered a number of inappropriate alterations.