Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB24/15/004

Address :
4 The Square Comber Co. Down BT23 5DT

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
148/10

IG Ref:
J4591 6925

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Owner Category

Financial

Exterior Description And Setting

Largely symmetrical, rendered, two storey terraced building, of possible late 18th century origin, set close to the NE corner of The Square. The central entrance door is plain and is framed with shallow painted stone pilasters surmounted by a plain blocking course with cornice. To the left is large single pane window which has been utilised as a shop window in the past although there is no longer any signage or other commercial evidence. To the right is a slightly smaller sized opening with a modern six pane steel window. To the first floor are three evenly spaced openings which are slightly shorter than those on ground floor. The centre has a three pane window and is flanked by openings each with six pane window. All windows are modern of steel construction. The facade is finished in smooth lined render. The roof is finished in Bangor Blue slate. It is slightly higher than its neighbours to either side. To either gable is a red brick potless chimney stack. PVC rw goods. The rear facade is much obscured by rampant plant growth. All windows have been boarded up from the inside The facade is constructed in random greywacke rubble parts of which were white washed. To the left side is a single storey return which appears to have a mono pitched Bangor Blue slate roof.. The ground floor is entirely obscured by plant growth. To a ?half landing is a single fixed pane window. To the first floor are three unevenly spaced windows. That to the centre is positioned directly below the eaves and has one central mullion. To the left is a large opening with a modern timber four pane window. To the right is a sliding sash and case window (?4 over 4) set at a slightly lower level. The roof is finished in Bangor Blue slate and has two cast iron sky lights. Cast iron rw goods..

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

This site is shown occupied on the 1722 map of Comber and all other maps thereafter. On David Geddas’s 1786 pictorial lease map of the north side of The Square the building on the site is marked as the property of an Andrew McMillin, but the (slightly crude) drawing of the front façade shows a greater amount of windows than at present. However, this is not to say that the present building is a later rebuild, for its greywacke rubble construction points to a pre 1830, even 18th century building- but one which may have had its openings altered at some point. The valuation returns of 1834 note that the house belonged to Dr. John Allen (who lived a few doors to the east) and was rented to a Dr. John Frame (or Frane). Annotations to the valuation records also tell us that it was rented to a Robert Braithwaite in 1838. Braithwaite (or a relative of the same name) was still resident in 1861, when he is listed in the second valuation returns as a ‘supervisor’. A photograph dating from c.1920-30 shows that the property (whose façade was exactly as it is today apart from its, mainly Georgian paned, sash window frames) incorporated a grocer’s shop at this point belonging to a W.C.A. Withers. The property remained a shop until fairly recent times. 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.56 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

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two storey rendered terrace house of possible late 18th century origin. The overall form of the building is largely intact but the front facade now sports modern window frames.

General Comments

Date of Survey