Coulter House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large-ish two storey hipped roof house, apparently built in 1789, set right on the W side of the Comber Road, less than a mile NW of the village of Killinchy. This house is set in a kind of terrace, with lower gabled outbuildings attached to the N and S.

Front E facade is symmetrical, with a central doorway with modern glazed door, late Victorian looking moulded surround and keystone. Above the door is a simple inscribed panel which reads ‘Built by John Coulter A.D. 1789’, under which has been attached modern wrought iron letters (in ‘handwriting’ style) which spell out the name ‘Coulter House’. To the far left and far right of the entrance are two sash windows, with vertical glazing bar to each pane. To the first floor are five small sash windows with single horizontal glazing bar (to lower pane).

Attached to the S facade is a two storey barn which is slightly shorter than the house, but part of whose upper level may be connected to the house. The N facade has a lower, single storey, barn attached.

To the rear of the house is a left of centre lean to glazed porch, which covers a modern glazed door. To the left of this door is a small window with modern metal frame. To the right of the porch are two larger windows with similar frames (these windows with obviously enlarged slightly at some point). To the first floor are four small, roughly evenly spaced, windows, of slightly varying size and all with modern metal frames.

The front facade (and small sections of the exposed N and S facades) are finished in lined render with chamfered quoins and plinth. The rear is finished in rough cast and unpainted (as are the barns). The roof is hipped with Bangor blue slates and two central yellow brick chimney stacks. The barns have gabled roofs. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

The inscribed panel above the doorway states that this house was built by John Coulter in 1789 and although the style of the typeface on panel itself has more of an early 19th century look the overall form of the house appears reasonably consistant with a late 18th century date. The building is shown on the OS map of 1834 where it is marked ‘Post Office’, a role it continued to serve at the time of the revised map of 1859-60. The decoration to the doorway, the chimneys and the front window frames suggest the house was renovated c.1890-1910, with further changes later in the 20th century. The house served as the C of I rectory (for Killinchy parish) between 1947 and 1949.

The Coulter who built this house was probably related to the Coulter owners of the former Balloo corn mill, which was situated a short distance to the south.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS maps 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 17.
2 PRONI VAL 1B/335 1st valuation, Killinchy parish, Ballyministragh td., c.1835.
3 PRONI OS maps 1st rev. 1859-60, Co. Down 17.
4 PRONI 2nd valuation, Killinchy parish, Ballyministragh td., 1861.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Substantial two storey house which proports to have been built in 1789 and whose overall form appears not inconsistent with a late 18th century date. Alterations have degraded the building's architectural interest.