39 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site, on the S side of High Street of former two storey gabled bank, demolished 1987, with new bank now in place. The former bank (which probably began life as a house) had a doorway with decorative surround, moulded architraves to windows and an elliptical arch headed carriage entrance. There were gabled dormers, raised quoins and rendered chimney stacks.

First Survey Record.
'2 storey building with attic. Roof slated, gable ends. Rendered chimneys. Wall rendered, lined and painted. First floor has raised quoins and sill course and moulded eaves course. Gd floor- channel jointed with bevel base. 4 gabled attic windows, 5 centre arch double hung sashes, no astragals. 7 first floor double hung windows, no astragals. Moulding - Architrave, freize, cornice hood and pediment shape on top. Gd floor has elliptic arch coachway, sheeted door. - long horizontal bank window, with moulded architrave - then doorway with 4 pillasters bearing moulding. Brackets below frieze lintol, cornice, blocking course and low pediment shape on top. All enclose 2 leaded glass sidelights, leaded fanlight and pannelled door. - Then recent jeweller shop 'Robert Wallace' in artificial marble.
Condition fair. Frontgage about 52 feet. Clock and sign projecting abnove bank entrance door.'

Historical information

This site is shown occupied on the 1834 and 1858-60 OS maps. The building which stood here until fairly recently may have been built c.1840-50 and in latter years housed the Belfast Savings Bank (later the Trustee Savings Bank). The property was demolished in 1987 and a new bank (now the First Trust Bank) built in its place.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS Maps 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 6.
2 PRONI VAL 1B/34 1st valuation Newtownards parish, Newtownards, c.1836 (see also associated town plan).
3 PRONI OS Maps 1st rev. 1858-60, Co. Down 6.
4 Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), pp.105-106.
5 PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s’) valuation, Newtownards parish, Newtownards 1863. [The town plan to accompany the 2nd valuation does not appear to be held at PRONI thus making it difficult to match the information contained within the written record with actual buildings.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site of two storey terraced bank (probably originally a house of mid 19th century origin), with decorative entrance doorway, moulded architraves and gabled dormers. The building was demolished in 1987.