16-22 The Square

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Unassuming two storey gabled terrace of possible 18th century origin, which comprises most of the E side of the Square and whose return, to the left side, fronts on to Bridge Street. Nos.16-18 are now a public house and Nos.20 and 22 shops/offices.

No(s).16-18 is to the N side. To the left of centre on the front (W) façade of Nos.16 & 18 is the main entrance which has a timber door with vertical sheeting and a plain narrow fan light. To the left of this is an enlarged fixed light window. To the right of the door is sash and case window. To the right again is a further door opening with painted stone surround with narrow cornice. To the far right is a further sash window, as before. To the first floor are five unevenly spaced sash windows, with horizontal glazing bars. The façade is finished in lined render and painted, with moulded in/out bevelled quoins to the wall edges. Traditional-looking painted sign above entrance and window to centre.

The N gable has a centrally placed timber door, as before, to the ground floor. To either side is a window each with a modern timber frame with top opener. The gable is rendered as front and also has similar quoins. At eaves level is a raised string course. A raised verge course rises up the gable. The front facade and gable both rest on a shallow moulded plinth. Tradition projecting pub sign to gable.

To the east side the gable merges with the N face of the (lower) ‘return’ (into Bridge Street). This is now occupied partly by the pub itself and partly by a small newsagents shop. This shop has a modern full width, aluminium shop front. Above this is a ‘box housing’ for a roller shutter door. Above this is a large painted shop sign.

A view of the rear façade was only possible from the adjoining property. What once was an open yard is now entirely covered by two lean-to single storey extensions. The first floor of the main building has one enlarged window opening with modern frame and steel security bars to the outside. The return has one enlarged window opening with multi pane steel frame and a small opening to the right which is now boarded over.

The gabled roof is finished in Bangor Blue slate. There are three potless, rendered, chimney stacks- one to each gable and one positioned centrally. The return roof is also gabled but is finished in concrete pan tiles.

The entrance to No. 20 is on the left. It has a fifteen pane glazed timber door . To the right is an enlarged window opening with a modern multi pane, bowed, timber frame. Above the window is a large wooden painted shop sign. Above the sign are two multi pane windows with top openers. The façade is finished in rough cast and painted.

To the rear is a small lean to roof with a plain door to the left and a barred, modern timber window to the right. To the S face of the lean-to is a blocked window opening. Above the lean to is a partly blocked and partly barred timber window.

The roof of No. 20 is finished in Bangor Blue slate.

The ground floor front façade of No. 22 is identical to No.20, but the first floor has only one centrally placed multi pane window as before and the shop sign is in PVC [?internally illuminated]. The façade is also in painted rough cast corner but with moulded in/out quoins to the S.

The gable has a similar finish but is blank with the exception of one small off centre second floor window. A gutter extends from front to back at eaves level.. There is a verge moulding as before. Moulded and bevelled quoins to W edge.

The rear has a small flat roofed porch with a two blocked windows, one to the ground left and one to the first floor centre.

The entire terrace has cast iron rw goods to front, but some sections of PVC to rear.

Historical information

This site is shown occupied on the 1722 map of Comber. On David Geddas’s 1801 map of selected properties ‘out of lease’, a terrace is shown whose plan (and given dimensions) match that of the present. This terrace was then in possession of a Richard Stitt Jnr. The 1834 valuation returns note that that block was of considerable age (perhaps over 50 years- it was graded C+), and at that time contained a shop and house in possession of William Murphy and two other houses in possession of a William Davey and a William McKeag. McKeag is listed in Slater’s 1846 and 1856 directories as a carpenter and Murphy in the latter directory as ‘spirit & porter dealer’. Thus it appears likely that either the present No.16 was a public house at this date at least.

Both Murphy and Mckeag were still recorded as resident during the 1861 valuation and William Murphy [or his son] was still running the public house in 1870. He also seems to have doubled up as a blacksmith for his property is recorded as containing a forge (undoubtedly at the rear) in 1861, and he is listed as a blacksmith in 1870. The house to the south end of the terrace appears to have served as the residence for the master of the neighbouring school (just to the south of this block, erected in 1813 but demolished c.1950) at this point.

Photographic evidence dating from c.1900-10 shows that the pub had by this stage adopted the name ‘Gillespie Arms’ and consisted of the present Nos.16 & 18. At this stage the establishment was in the hands of a Mr. Kerr. The two houses to the south appear to have still served as domestic properties at this time, however that to the south end appears to have had a signboard, suggesting it served a commercial function of some kind.

In c.1976 the two houses to the house were converted to commercial premises and large bowed windows inserted to the front of each.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.654/M1B/2 Londonderry Papers- ‘Survey of the town, tenements and parks of Comber…1722’.
2 PRONI D.654/M54/1 Londonderry Papers- ‘A rough plan of the undermentioned tenements in the town of Comber, April 1786’ by David Geddas. [‘Pictorial lease map of the north side of The Square.]
3 PRONI D.654/M1B/18 Londonderry Papers- ‘A survey of the tenements out of lease in the town of Comber survey’d A.D. 1801’ by David Geddas
4 Linen Hall Library ‘Pigot & Co.’s Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory’ (Manchester 1824).
5 PRONI VAL 1B/316A p.57 1st valuation, Comber, 1834.
6 PRONI OS/1/3/10 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Down 10.
7 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.442.
8 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.505.
9 PRONI OS/6/3/10/3 OS map, 1st rev. 1858, Down 10.
10 PRONI 2nd valuation, Comber, 1861 [In print in PRONI search room and in the Linen Hall Library.]
11 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870).
12 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.303-305.
13 MBR Photographs of The Square, Comber, c.1900-1950. [These photographs appear to be mainly copies of those belonging to the Laurence Collection (with original negatives held at the NLI in Dublin)].
14 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

Short two storey terrace of possible mid 18th century origin, now containing a pub and shops. The pub has been extended at the rear and the shops have had had large bowed windows inserted at the front.