16 Church Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Plain, two storey terrace house, of possible pre 1834 origin, much renovated in the 1970s and now with concrete tile roof and modern window frames to front. The property is set on the W side of Church Street just N of Portaferry town centre.

Front (E) elevation is asymmetrical. To the right of centre on the ground floor there is a modern three panel door with a single window to either side, both with modern frames. Moulded surround to door with prominent moulded keystone, plain fanlight above door. Plinth. First floor has three windows similar to ground floor.

To the left side of the rear is a recent, shallow pitched roof, single storey extension. Door to the N face of the extension with a modern window to the W face. To the left, on the original façade is a sash window with 2 over two. To the first floor is sash window to the left and a modern window to the right and a sash window (with horizontal astragals) to an intermediate level in the centre.

The front façade is finished in lined render and painted. The rear is rendered and unpainted.

The gabled roof is covered with modern concrete tiles. Eaves course. Cast iron gutter and down spout. Two red brick chimney stacks with matching pots.

Historical information

A building, in possession of a David Gee, is shown on this site on Patrick O’Hare’s 1799 map. Given the shortcomings of the valuation town plan of c.1838 it is difficult to tell for certain who owned which building at this point, but it seems likely that the site was occupied at that point with a two storey dwelling in possession of a Thomas McCappin and that the property was relatively old (grade 'B'- perhaps 30+ years). The McCappin family remained in possession of the house until at least 1863.

The property was extensively renovated in the mid 1970s.

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
2 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
3 PRONI VAL/1B/37 1st valuation, Ballyphilip, c.1835-38
4 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation town plan of Portaferry, c.1838
5 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.520-23
6 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
7 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.592-95
8 PRONI OS/8/23/1- OS town plan of Portaferry, 1859
9 PRONI Second ('Griffith's') valuation, 1863 [in print]
10 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, c.1863, with revisions of 1902
11 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870), pp.341-43
12 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
13 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
14 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
15 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), p.11
2 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

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Plain, two storey terrace house, of possible pre 1834 origin, much renovated in the 1970s and now with concrete tile roof and modern window frames to front.

General comments

Previously part of HB24/01/038.