Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB17/15/035

Address :
The Manse 84 Church Street Dromore Banbridge Co Down BT25 1AA

Townland:
Balleny

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
23/02/1978 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
202/3

IG Ref:
J1989 5336

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

A symmetrical red-brick mid-Victorian former Manse; built 1876 and located to the north side of Church Street west of Dromore town centre. L-shaped plan with single-storey canted bays to front, single-storey entrance porch and modern extension to rear. Hipped natural slate roof with leaded hips and ridges; two tall red-brick chimneystacks with fluted shafts; A-frame bargeboards with finials to gables. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on overhanging eaves. Walling is Flemish-bonded red-brick on a chamfered plinth. Windows are generally segmental-headed to ground floor and square-headed to first floor, all 1/1 timber-framed sliding sash with projecting granite sills. Feature round-headed window to first floor centre with gablet over. The principal elevation faces south and is three openings wide to first floor. Single-storey canted bays with traditional three flank a double-leaf six flat-panelled timber door. Door is surmounted by segmental-headed transom light with carved trefoil detailing and slated canopy on brick piers with stone caps and base. The west elevation has two evenly spaced windows to ground and first floor. The north (rear) elevation has return to left; right bay has two windows to first floor and is abutted at ground floor by the modern extension. Left gable is abutted by the single-storey gabled rear entrance extension with a modern timber door; segmental-headed window to north and west elevations. The east elevation has four windows to first floor. Ground floor has a group of three diminutive windows to centre; window to left and two windows to right. Setting Set back from the road with lawned and shrubbed garden to front with mature trees. Tarmac driveway leads to front of house, accessed from Church Street to south via a set of sandstone gate piers supporting original cast-iron gates. Bounded to south by mature hedgerow and to east by a rubble stone wall. To east is a two-storey red-brick coach house in similar style as the house with bargeboards and finial to gables; fully refurbished as a modern office. Corner chamfered to ground floor, corbelled out to first floor. Roof: Natural slate Walling: brick Windows: Timber RWG: Cast-iron

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The former manse to the Non-Subscribing Church in Dromore (HB17/15/020), situated at No. 84 Church Street, a two-storey redbrick Victorian dwelling, was constructed in 1876. It replaced a previous dwelling that had stood on the site from the mid-19th century and was valued in Griffith’s Valuation at only £2. In 1876 the former dwelling was taken down to make way for the construction of the current manse. In 1874 the Irish Builder published plans for the construction of a new manse for the Unitarian Church in Dromore by Timothy Hevey (1846-1878) a Dublin and Belfast-based architect. The 1874 plans were unexecuted and it is not known whether Hevey was responsible for the current design of No. 84 Church Street (Irish Builder, p. 9; Dictionary of Irish Architects). The current manse was completed in 1876 and has not been significantly altered from its original L-shaped layout since that time. In c. 1876 the Annual Revisions noted the first occupant of the manse as the Rev. Robert Miller and that the newly erected dwelling was valued at £30. The value was reduced to £27 during the occupation of the Rev. David Thompson, who replaced Miller in 1881; however the value remained at this amount until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930. David Thompson resided at No. 84 Church Street until his death in 1900 (PRONI Wills) after which time the Unitarian Body let the manse out to private tenants for a brief period. In 1908 No. 84 Church Street was once more occupied by a minister of the Non-Subscribing Church when the Rev. Alfred Davison came into possession. The 1911 Census notes that Davison (35, originally from Northampton) resided at the manse alone but for a domestic servant; the census building return described No. 84 Church Street as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 11 rooms and possessed the two-storey redbrick coach house (located to the east side of the house) as its sole out office. The Rev. Alfred Davison continued to reside at the Manse until at least the end of the Annual Revisions in 1930. The Non-Subscribing Church in Dromore was constructed c. 1800, the result of a split in congregation of First Dromore Presbyterian Church in c. 1725. Nelson states that the manse was constructed in 1876 at a cost of over £1,300 and was part of a series of construction projects that also resulted in the erection of a schoolroom within the church grounds in 1880 (Kirkpatrick, p. 230; Nelson). No. 84 Church Street continued to be utilised as Dromore Non-Subscribing Church’s manse until at least 1978 when the building was listed. The property came into private possession in the late-20th century and continues to be occupied; a single-storey modern conservatory is the only addition of note constructed in recent years. References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/3/21/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map 1833 2. PRONI OS/6/3/21/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1859 3. PRONI OS/6/3/21/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1903 4. PRONI OS/6/3/21/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1919-20 5. PRONI VAL/1/D/3/13 – Townland Valuation map c. 1834 6. PRONI VAL/1/B/342 – Townland Valuations c. 1830 7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/38A – Griffith’s Valuation 1861 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/21A – Annual Revisions 1864-1876 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/21B – Annual Revisions 1876-1885 10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/21C – Annual Revisions 1885-1900 11. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11A – Annual Revisions 1899-1910 12. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11B – Annual Revisions 1911-1919 13. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11C – Annual Revisions 1920-1930 14. PRONI Wills Catalogue (17 Jan 1900) 15. Irish Builder, Vol. 17 (1 Jan 1875) 16. Census of Ireland (1901 / 1911) 17. Ordnance Survey map – 202-4SW (1973) Secondary Sources 1. Kirkpatrick, L., ‘Presbyterians in Ireland: An illustrated history’ Booklink, 2006. 2. McCormick, A., ‘A record of Dromore: Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church’ Lisburn: Summit Printing, 2000. Online Resources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie 2. Nelson, J. W., Article in Lisburn.com: http://lisburn.com/churches/Lisburn-churches/first-presbyterian-ns-dromore.html

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A red-brick mid-Victorian former Manse for the Non-subscribing Presbyterian church; built 1876. Symmetrically arranged and typically Victorian in proportions and detailing, much architectural detailing and fabric survive. The setting of the Manse is well preserved, having retained its original coach house and original entrance gates. This is a good example of a robust, Victorian manse in original condition and also of interest for the historic development of the site.

General Comments

New listing criteria R & S to be added when available. NO'R 14.10.13

Date of Survey

01 February 2012