Maritime Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached symmetrical three-bay one-and-a-half-storey house, erected c.1820, facing west and located to the east side of Belfast Road, Carrickfergus. Rectangular-on-plan, two-storey return to rear, single-storey extension to south gable.

Pitched natural slate roof, blue/black clay ridge tiles, rendered chimneystacks to gable ends with octagonal clay pots. Deep overhanging eaves with plain bargeboards. Ruled-and-lined rendered walling with shallow rendered plinth and first floor cill course. Square-headed 2/2 timber sliding sash windows with masonry cills unless otherwise stated.

Principal (west) elevation has central principal entrance; paired windows each with hoodmould to flanking bays. Central wall-head dormer to first floor with round-headed 2/2 sliding sash window; dormer to each side (all sides glazed). Abutted to right by flat roof garage, to left by rendered wall with saddleback coping and timber sheeted door. Four-panel entrance door (top panels moulded), glazed fanlight and sidelights recessed within segmental headed opening with splayed reveals; original ironmongery.

North gable comprises two windows to first floor and is abutted by boundary wall to right.

Rear (east) elevation has central rendered two-storey return with window to flanking bays. Left side is abutted by single-storey flat roof extension. Return has replacement three pane window to ground floor, one to first floor (as original). Right cheek has two pane replacement window to ground floor and one original to first floor; left cheek has replacement window and door to ground floor, first floor blank.

South gable has two windows to first floor, abutted by single-storey flat roof extension.

Extension is detailed as main block with timber casement window to each face and uPVC rainwater goods.

Site is bound to Belfast Road by roughcast boundary wall with saddleback coping, central square rendered pillars, pyramidal caps and ball finials; cast metal gate. Vehicular access from Rodgers Quay through square roughcast pillars, pyramidal caps and timber sheeted gates; garden to east side of driveway. Double garage extension to south, the rear wall forming part of the boundary to Belfast Road, with timber sheeted door.

Roof: Pitched natural slate
Walling: Ruled-and-lined render
Windows: Square-headed 2/2 timber sliding sashes
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

The first edition OS map of 1832 shows similarly aligned buildings on the site, one is square in form with a smaller building to the right. The area surrounding is vacant. The Townland Valuation does not record the building.

The second edition OS map shows the site having been further developed, the building now has an extension at the front and gardens are shown around the cottage. The third edition OS map of 1902 shows further extensions to the building.

This cottage was the residence of Paul Rodgers, a well known shipbuilder and member of the Harbour Commissioners. Paul Rodgers was born in 1834,and served an apprenticeship of six years with Carrickfergus shipyard, then a major port alongside Larne. Rodgers is described by the Ulster History website as ‘a renowned builder of schooners’. One of his ships, the ‘Result’ was built for a James Fisher of Barrow, apparently regarded as ‘the finest small sailing fishing vessel ever built in Britain’. It was made of steel and was launched in 1893 remaining in use until 1967. During the First World War it became a fighting ship under the name the ‘Q23’. Rodgers was involved in many aspects of community life, serving as a member on the Carrickfergus Municipal and Harbour Commissioners. Rodgers ‘followed in the tradition of the paternal Victorian, frequently refusing to make redundancies in spite of his own monetary problems’ and made a great impact to the ‘socio-economic development of the locality’(Rodgers)

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 (1902)
4. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/52 - Townland Valuation Map (1836)

Secondary Sources

1. Paul Rodgers-Ulster History. Available from http://www.ulsterhistory.co.uk (Accessed 24th Nov, 2008).
2. Causeway Coast and Glens, Heritage Trust. Available from: http://www.ccght.org/_Page.aspx?ID=53 (Accessed 24th Nov, 2008).
3. Campbell, G. and Crowther, S. “Ulster Architectural Heritage Society Second List of Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in the town of Carrickfergus.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, Revised 1980.

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
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Detached symmetrical three-bay one-and-a-half-storey house, erected c.1820, located to the east side of Belfast Road, Carrickfergus. The house is well detailed and proportioned and has retained its original plan form and interior. Maritime Cottage has strong historical interest as the home place of Paul Rodgers, shipbuilder, 1834-1901.