22-24 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, relatively plain, three storey terrace house with shop of possible pre 1834 construction, with mid 19th century entrance surround and mainly modern window frames throughout. The property is set at the end of a terrace block on the NW side of High Street, to the NE of Portaferry town centre.

The front façade faces SE and is asymmetrical. To the left of centre is the house doorway, which has a timber panel door enclosed with panelled pilasters, panelled ‘entablature’ and cornice supported by console brackets. This surround touches the cill of the window directly above, which could suggest that it was added at some point. To the left of the doorway is an almost square window with PVC frame (this opening has obviously been altered). To the right of the house doorway is a modern glazed door, with adjoining fixed light shop window. Framed timber painted shop sign above door and window.

To the first floor there are four windows, now with PVC frames. To the second floor there are four smaller windows (in line with the first floor openings) with similar PVC frames. These windows rest on a cill course.

The NE and SW gables are blank. To the right at the rear there is a two storey gabled return with three sash windows to the first floor on NE face, with a large modern window and two doorways to the ground floor. The façade of the main portion of the building has two windows to first floor level and and two to the second. The windows to the left are smaller and all have modern timber frames. To the ground floor right there is a doorway with a metal covering.

The façade is largely finished in lined render, with the ground floor rear mainly in roughcast. Bevelled moulded quoins to front and gables.

The gabled roof is covered with Bangor blue slates and three red brick chimneys with simple corbelling and matching pots. Ceramic cope to gable parapet. PVC gutter and down spouts.

Two storey rubble-built outbuilding to rear.

Historical information

A dwelling is shown on this site on Patrick O’Hare’s map of 1799, which was then in possession of a Patrick Smyth. The valuation returns of c.1835 tell us that a relatively old (grade 'B'), three storey dwelling was in position at that stage, with a James McKibbin listed as resident. It is possible that this is the same house we see today, though the door surround appears c.1850 and could suggest that the present building is later. It is also possible that the surround was added, however.

In 1861 the property was occupied by a Thomas McDonnell.

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

Large, relatively plain, three storey terrace house with shop of possible pre 1834 construction, with mid 19th century entrance surround and mainly modern window frames throughout.