8 Ferry Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, formal, three storey Georgian terrace house of probably dating from 1780-81, with large tripartite windows and decorated doorway. The property is set on the E side of the sloping Ferry Street, just to the S of Portaferry town square.

Front (W) façade is symetrical. To the centre of the ground floor is the entrance, which has a timber panel door, plain fanlight and two pane sidelights, all encased by panelled pilasters with decorative console brackets supporting large projecting dentilled cornice.
To the left of the entrance is a large tripartite sliding sash window, with simple keystone. Similar window to right of entrance. Stone cills. Chamfered ‘stepped’ plinth.

To the first floor are three tripartite windows similar to ground floor, but slightly reduced in height. Cill course with broken band beneath. The second floor repeats this arrangement but with the windows further reduced in height. The frames to this floor have retained their Georgian panes. Entire front facade finished in line render and painted. Chamfered quoins and eaves band.

The exposed sections of the N and S gables are both plain and finished in unpainted lined render.

To the rear there is a one and a half storey lean-to section which to the N has a row of modern windows (and resembles a conservatory). To the S end the lean-to connects to a two storey gabled outbuilding. Above the lean-to (to main façade) there is a square sash window to both first and second floor right. To the centre there is a narrower window set at stairwell level between first and second floors. The sash frames of all of these windows have vertical glazing bars (two panes over two). The rear façade (and much of the lean-to) is finished in unpainted roughcast.

The gabled roof is covered in Bangor blue slates and two modern brown brick chimney stacks with simple corbelling and matching pots.

Extensive range of outbuildings to rear. These appear to be of various dates with one large two storey building constructed in brick (and probably added c.1900).

Historical information

According to the former owner, Mr. P.J. McHenry, Patrick Savage leased this site to James McMullan in 1776, with instructions that he construct three storey slated houses. The houses built by McMullan were complete by 1781. These appear to be the present Nos.4-6 as well as No.8, with the basements in Nos.4 & 6 apparently counting as storeys in themselves. On Patrick O’Hare’s map of 1799 the entire site is shown in the possession of the widow of Thomas Watson, who appears to have taken over the lease from McMullan in the 1780s. By c.1835 the property was in the hands of a Dr Alexander Filson, whose family remained there for most of the 19th century

The outhouses to the rear have a varied history, having served as places for beer and tobacco storage, a hem stitching and handkerchief factory, Dr Filson's laboratory for preparing medicines, as well as containing a coach house and stables.

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 Second ('Griffith's') valuation, 1863 [In print.]
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 P.J. McHenry, "No.8 Ferry Street, Portaferry: The History of a House" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.1'
(1977), pp. 29-30
4 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
5 Jack Orr, "The Postal Service in Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No. 11' (1987), pp. 2-4
6 R. Oram, "The Buildings of Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society' No.16 (1992)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large and impressive three storey terrace house of 1780-8.