Gill's Almhouses

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Symmetrical two-bay one-and-a-half-storey terrace,of c1820, renovated 1904. Rectangular-on-plan facing east and located to the west side of Ellis Street, Carrickfergus. (No.32 is the south (left) dwelling in a terrace of three similarly styled Almshouses.)

Pitched natural slate roof, blue/black clay ridge tiles, red brick chimneystack to party wall with No34, (HB22/07/001B), terracotta pots. Deep overhanging timber eaves with plain bargeboards. Smooth rendered walling with roughcast finish to first floor and corbelled brick eaves. Square-headed 6/6 timber casements with smooth rendered architraves and painted masonry cills unless otherwise stated.

Principal (east) elevation has central entrance; window surmounted by wall-head dormer to either side. Timber sheeted entrance door with central glazed pane and original ironmongery within smooth rendered architrave.

Left gable is abutted by a two-storey terrace, No.30 Ellis Street.

Rear (west) elevation has continuous wall-head dormer with flat roof; smooth rendered walls; central replacement door; two small lean-to boiler houses, one located to left of door, second located to end of right bay; both have two casement windows to left (right windows diminished); three 1/1 timber casements at first floor. Entrance is surmounted by pitched felted canopy supported on timber brackets.

Right gable is abutted by No.34 (HB22/07/001B)

Roof: Pitched natural slate
Walling: Smooth rendered unless otherwise stated
Windows: Square-headed 6/6 timber casements unless otherwise stated
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

The buildings appear on the first edition OS map of 1832. In the third edition OS map of 1902 they are captioned ‘Gills Almshouses’.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1860 lists three houses and gardens occupying the plot, each occupied by lodgers; the lessor is recorded as ‘Gills Trustees’. Each property is valued at £3 10. A note reads ‘free houses and gardens from the trustees of Gills Charity’. A personal observation from the Valuer reads ‘I think this house should be exempt’.

A plaque on the neighbouring terrace (HB22/07/001B) states: ‘Alderman Gill’s/ Almhouses/ Erected 1761 Renovated 1904’. However, referencing such sources as the Gill’s Charity Minute Book and the OS Memoirs record of Carrickfergus, Brett (p.230) believes the almshouses were built c.1820 as “Six houses (or three double houses) first opened for pensioners on 23rd October 1820, built under the 1760 will of Alderman Henry Gill. Mr. Gill appears to have been a generous man, who provided houses to 14 elderly men on the provisions that they were not ‘inclined or given to idleness, or Drunkenness…and that they were remarkable for their inoffensiveness’.” This refutes the opinion of the UAHS listers who believed these houses to be the original town almshouses built in 1766.

The almshouses were restored in 1904, and recently in 1980 by the James Butcher Housing Association.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/52/1 -First Edition OS Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/52/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/52/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1901-2)
4. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/52A – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1857)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/22A – Griffith’s Valuation Fieldbook(1860)

Secondary Sources

1. C.E.B. Brett. Buildings of County Antrim. UAHS, 1996.
2. Campbell, Gordon and Susan Crowther. “In the Town of Carrickfergus.” Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance Series. Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1980.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
V. Authorship

Evaluation

This late-Georgian terrace of former alms houses still retain their essential character to the front elevation. Historically they are associated with Alderman Gill who made allowance for their construction in his will of 1760. The rear elevations have been substantially altered c1980 at which time the interior detailing was also altered. Despite these changes they have architectural interest in the proportion and detailng of the front elevation and have group value with each other and the other almhouses at Governor's Place, Carrickfergus HB 22.08.014, also associated with Alderman Gill.