32-34 Church Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey terrace house, of probable 18th century construction, formerly a shop with apartment above, now somewhat modernised, with shop front removed and PVC window frames installed throughout. The property is set within the terrace on the W side of Church Street, to the N of Portaferry town centre.

The front (E) façade is asymmetrical. To the right of centre is the front doorway with traditional six panel door (salvaged from another property) with fanlight. Two windows to left with PVC frames. The first two windows and the door are enclosed within a recessed outline of the former shop front. Window as previous to right of door. To the first floor there are three windows as previous but with addition of window boxes on top of stone cills. Slim concrete cills on all windows. Whole of front elevation rendered and painted.

The gabled roof is covered with composite 'slate'. Yellow brick chimney stack (without pots) to north, rendered chimney stack (without pots) to south. Stone parapets to both north and south. Prominent electric cabling.

Extensive two storey gabled out house at rear constructed in random rubble with brick dressings, cobbled floor, brick chimney, and Bangor blue slate roof. Now used as store, may originally have been used for stabling with living accommodation attached.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on Patrick O’Hare’s 1799 map when it was in possession of a John Mageean and/or Widow Little. The present owner states that in an old window towards the rear of the house (now unfortunately recently replaced due to damage) was inscribed ‘Jane Little Mar. 18 1834’, suggesting that 'Widow Little' was probably the resident in 1799. This is further supported by the valuation returns of c.1835 which list the occupier as one John Little. The valuers also state that the house was two storey at that date and was relatively old (they graded it 'C').

In 1861 a James Maguire is recorded as resident.

During the early 20th century the property was a spirit grocers, and, until the late 1970s still retained its 19th cenury shop front.

References- Primary sources
1 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]
2 Linen Hall Library ‘Pigot & Co.’s Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory’ (Manchester 1824)
3 'Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II', ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991)
4 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
5 PRONI VAL/1B/37 1st valuation, Ballyphilip, c.1835-38
6 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation town plan of Portaferry, c.1838
7 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.520-23
8 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
9 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.592-95
10 PRONI OS/8/23/1- OS town plan of Portaferry, 1859
11 PRONI Second ('Griffith's') valuation, 1863 [In print.]
12 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, c.1863, with revisions of 1902
13 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870), pp.341-43
14 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
15 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
16 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
17 UFTM WAG 609, 611, 612 W.A. Green Collection, photographs of Portaferry Quay, harbour, Shore Road etc.
18 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 Dick Oram, "The Buildings of Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.16' (1992), p. 24

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Much altered two storey terraced house, of probable 18th century construction, formerly a shop with apartment above. Now of little architectural interest.