35 Church Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey house of possible mid 19th century construction, modernised in c.1980s with garage inserted, window enlarged and concrete tiles added to roof. The property is set at the end of a terrace on the E side of Church Street, to the N of Portaferry town centre.

Front (W) is now asymmetrical. To the centre on the ground floor is a modern timber panelled and glazed door. To the right of this is large double timber diagonally sheeted garage door. To the left of the door is an enlarged window opening with modern frame. Three smaller windows to first floor, with modern frames. Doors and window have splayed smooth cement surrounds. Pebbledash render with smooth cement plinth and edges to walls.

To the rear is a wide, flat roofed extension with a dome shaped roof light and two widely spaced windows with modern frames and bands, all as before.

The gabled roof is covered with concrete tiles and has two red brick chimney stacks. Pebbledash render to gables with smooth cement edging, and smooth cement band high in north gable.

Historical information

This site is shown occupied from at least 1799. The building on the site was not recorded during the first valuation of 1838, suggesting it was single storey. The present house may date from the mid 19th century, and matches the plan of that occupied by John Edmond in 1863. In c.1980 the property was completely renovated with part of the ground floor converted to a garage.

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

Two storey house of possible mid 19th century construction, modernised in c.1980s with garage inserted, window enlarged and concrete tiles added to roof.