21 Killinchy Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey terrace house (converted to a restaurant) of perhaps c.1840-50, but greatly extended at the rear in recent times. The building is set in the terrace on the W side of Killinchy Street.

The front (E) façade has a doorway to the left on the ground floor with a panelled door and plain fanlight encased with painted stone surround with cornice. To the right of the doorway is a sash window with horizontal glazing bars (2 over 2). To the first floor are two similar windows. Chamfered plinth.

The front façade is finished in painted lined render with chamfered in/out quoins. The exposed section of the N gable (which is blank) is finished in painted lined render also.

The original rear façade is now completely covered by a very large modern, lean-to-like, extension, with many Velux windows to its roof.

The main roof is gabled and covered in natural slate. Tall rendered chimney stack to N gable. PVC rw goods.

Historical information

What is now Killinchy Street is shown as a narrow country lane, without any buildings, on the 1722 map of Comber. By 1834 some development had taken place and this site was occupied. Unfortunately most of the houses in this terrace were not of sufficient value to merit recording during the 1833 valuation survey, however, so we know little about them at this time.

From the difference in stone types to the front façades of the rest of this stretch of terrace (to No.27) we know that the other properties within it all began life a single storey dwellings. Though we cannot tell because of the render, it is possible that this house has gone through a similar process, perhaps taking on its present appearance c.1840-50.

When first surveyed in March 1970 this property was still a house. It was converted to a restaurant in more recent years [?c.1990], but is currently used by the present owner as a store.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.654/M1B/2 Londonderry Papers- ‘Survey of the town, tenements and parks of Comber…1722’.
2 PRONI OS/1/3/10 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Down 10.
3 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II’, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB1991), p.32.
4 PRONI OS/6/3/10/3 OS map, 1st rev. 1858, Down 10.
5 PRONI 2nd valuation, Comber, 1861 [In print in PRONI search room and in the Linen Hall Library- the map to accompany the valuation is missing making it largely impossible to be sure of the occupants of most houses within Comber at this date.]
6 PRONI OS/2/3/10 OS map, 2nd ed. 1901, Down 10.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively plain, two storey terrace house (recently converted to a restaurant) of perhaps c.1840-50. The rear façade is now completely covered by a modern extension. Like the other properties within this stretch of terrace, this building may contain the fabric of a pre 1834 single storey dwelling which was raised in height.