26 Church Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial but plain two storey terrace house, of perhaps c.1830-35, set on the NW side of Church street.

Front elevation faces E and is assymmetrical. To the ground floor there is a six panel timber door with a plain fanlight, to the left of centre. Modern two pane modern window to far left is separated from the front doorway by narrow pier. Two windows to right of front doorway as previous. Moulded surround to all windows and door. Stone cills, plinth, quoins. To the first floor are three sash windows with horns. Moulded surround to windows, stone cills.

To the rear are two extensions. That to the left is single storey and has a hipped, is canted and has a pitched roof which is finished in Bangor Blue slate. That to the right is two storey but being some what squat is much smaller than the main elevation. This extension is positioned centrally and has a flat roof. To the main elevation are three windows. That to the far left and right are smaller and has two pane PVC frames while that to the centre (above the two storey extension) is a large modern four pane timber window. There are two Velux windows to the main roof.

The gableed roof is covered with Bangor blue slates and cement render parapets. Rendered chimney stacks with an assortment of pots. Aluminium extruded ogee gutter with cast iron down spout. Rusticated eaves course. Prominent electric cabling.

Historical information

A building, in the possession of David Swaile, is shown on this site on Patrick O'Hare's 1799 map. The present building is probably the newly built two storey house belonging to a Henry Kerr, recorded in the valuation returns of c.1838. Henry Kerr (or a son of the same name) was still in ownership of the property in 1863, thought the house itself is recorded as unoccupied.

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

Substantial but relatively plain two storey terrace house, of perhaps c.1830-35.