3 Ferry Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, plain two storey terrace house, of perhaps mid to later 19th century construction, whose front doorway has recently been shifted from the centre to the right. The property is set on the W side of Ferry Street, to the S of Portaferry town square.

The front façade faces E. To the right is the doorway, which has a c.1940s-50s panelled and glazed door. To the left of this are two sash windows. To the first floor there are two, widely spaced, windows similar to ground floor only narrower.

To the left at the rear façade ther is a large, full height, flat roofed extension, with modern windows and door. To the right of this (on the main rear façade) there is a window with modern frame to both ground and first floors.

The front façade is finished in lined render and painted, the rear in plain unpainted render.

The gabled roof is covered in Bangor blue slates and rendered chimney stacks to eaves of both houses to N and S. Clay ridge tiles. Eaves course. Mainly PVC rw goods.

This house is slightly shorter than both its neighbours to N and S.

Historical information

The valuation returns of c.1835 record that much of the the west side of Ferry Street was made up of modest single storey dwellings, some of which were 'exempt' from rating (because of their size etc.). The property on this site was one such building. On the valuation map of c.1861 the plan of the site is shown much as today, suggesting that the present house may have been present at this stage and may therefore be mid 19th century. At this point the property was occupied by a John Logan.

In relatively recent years the door of the house was shifted to the right. It was formerly central.

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, c.1863 [In print.]
14 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, 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 Jack Orr, "The Postal Service in Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No. 11' (1987), pp. 2-4
5 R. Oram, "The Buildings of Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.16' (1992)
6 Harry Murray, "Ferry Street in the 1990s" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.18' (1994), p. 10

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Small, plain terrace house, of possible mid 19th century construction.