26-27 The Square

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, informal, two storey terraced block, of possible pre 1834 construction, now containing a shop (No.27) and a house (No.26). The block is located within the terrace on the E side of The Square, in Portaferry town centre. Dimensions- 9m frontage.

The front façade faces W and is asymetrical. No.27, to the left, has a simple modern timber shop front, with painted wooden sign over (currently undergoing renovations). No.26 has a six panel timber door to left with fanlight and sidelight (to left side). To the right of this is a tripartite sliding sash window with no astragals. Moulded ‘segmental arch’ over door and window.

To the first floor (which belongs entirely to No.26) are two windows as ground floor of No.26, but with addition of horns.

The front façade is finished in rusticated render and painted.

The gabled roof is covered with Bangor blue slate. Eaves course. Three yellow brick chimney stacks with (assorted) pots to that to S only. Smooth cement render parapets between Nos.28 & 27 and Nos.27 & 26.

Historical information

A building, in possession of a widow Moreland, is shown on this site on Patrick O’Hare’s map of 1799. The c.1835 valuation returns state that the house on the site at that point was two storey and was relatively old (it is graded 'C' by the valuers). It is possible that this is the same structure we see today, though the second valuation of 1863 gives the grade 'B', suggesting, perhaps rebuilding or renovation between these dates. The property remained in the Moreland family until at least 1863, when James Moreland is recorded as the occupant. Between the latter date and 1900, the building was divided into two properties, with part of the ground floor converted to a shop.

References- Primary sources
1 Walter Harris, 'The Ancient and Present State of the County of Down' (Dublin 1744), p. 44. [ Harris describes Portaferry as ‘a market town, but irregularly built, and few other than thatched houses in it’.]
2 'Taylor's and Skinner's Maps of the roads of Ireland' (Dublin 1777)
3 PRONI D.552/B/3/3/1 Savage/Nugent Papers: ‘A Plan or Map of the Town of Portaferry’ by Patrick O’Hare, 1799 [The
Savage/Nugent Papers contain many documents relating to Portaferry and the surrounding area]
4 Linen Hall Library ‘Pigot & Co.’s Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory’ (Manchester 1824)
5 'Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II', ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991)
6 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
7 PRONI VAL/1B/37 1st valuation, Ballyphilip, c.1835-38
8 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation town plan of Portaferry, c.1838
9 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.520-23
10 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
11 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.592-95
12 PRONI OS/8/23/1- OS town plan of Portaferry, 1859
13 PRONI PRONI VAL/2B/3/14 Second valuation, 1863
14 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, c.1863, with revisions of 1902
15 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870), pp.341-43
16 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
17 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
18 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
19 PRONI VAL/12E/112/2- Valuation maps of Portaferry, 1902, with revisions of 1935

Secondary sources
1 G. Philip Bell, C.E.B. Brett, Sir Robert Matthew, 'Ulster Architectural Heritage Survey: Portaferry & Strangford'
(Belfast UAHS 1969)
2 PRONI Portaferry: Sources for Local History (PRONI ?1970s)
3 Sr. Mary Mercy (nee Isobel Cummings), "Memories of Portaferry in the early years of this century" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society, No.10' (1986), pp. 21-24
4 R. Oram, "The Buildings of Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society' No.16 (1992)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Plain, informal two storey terrace house (with shop) of possible pre 1834 construction with large tripartite sash windows and modern shop entrance to front.