Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/30/005 A

Address :
21 St. Colman’s Park Newry Co Down BT34 2BX

Townland:
Ballynacraig

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
11/11/1981 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:
266/7SW

IG Ref:
J0859 2613

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Owner Category

Commercial

Exterior Description And Setting

One of a pair of three storey (+ attic and basement) Georgian granite houses on the corner of John Mitchel Place and St Colman’s Park (see also HB16/30/005B). The principal façade, which is three bays wide on the ground floor (two above), is aligned to St Colman’s Park. The roof is hipped, with a short ridge aligned at right angles to the facade, and on which there is a low rendered chimney. It has natural slates and two skylights to front. A pitched roof, also with natural slates, runs off its apex at right (as viewed from main façade) to the back wall where it terminates in a rendered chimney stack shared with the adjoining house. Ogee cast iron rain water goods. The walls are of squared granite rubble in regular courses, with cement-rendered brick dressings to all windows and door openings (the render has fallen off around the basement openings). Raised and stepped V-jointed quoins to both corners. The basement walls project slightly, and are separated from the ground floor by a chamfered string course. Five granite steps lead up to the front door which is slightly offset to right of centre. The door opening has a semi-elliptical rendered head and half-round beaded edge to its granite casing. It contains a painted timber door with six raised and fielded panels. There is a vertical bead down the middle to mimic double doors. A letterbox (Art Nouveau style) and house number are affixed. The door is flanked by two partly-attached Tuscan columns supporting an entablature, with semi-elliptical transom over. The latter is sheeted with plywood on the outside, but its spider-web cast-iron tracery is evident on the inside. Left of the door are two window openings, and a third to right. On the two upper floors are four identical window openings, all equally spaced across the façade. Those on the second floor are slightly diminished in height. The render around their jambs is stepped, presumably to follow the profile of the bricks. All have granite cills and three-piece keystoned granite lintels above their heads. The openings are now sheeted externally with plywood, on which glazing bars have been painted to mimic 6/6 sliding sashes. However, the actual windows survive on the inside, and conform to this design (although that at ground floor right, and possibly left, is 2/2). The only exceptions are the two windows at first floor left and second window in from left on the floor above, which are blind and inserted purely for visual symmetry. There is a passage around the outside of the building at basement level. A wrought-iron railing runs around this passage at ground level, returning up each side of the entrance steps. It is affixed to a finely dressed chamfered granite plinth and has urn-topped cast iron posts. The passage was accessed by a door on the left cheek of a chamber underneath the entrance steps, but this is now infilled. To left are two dummy windows in the style of 6/3 sliding sashes (the stonework on the inside faces of the walls does not appear to be a later infill). Both have metal security bars affixed. To right of entrance, the basement is lit by a single 6/3 sliding sash in line with opening above. At extreme right is a second door out from the basement; it, too, is now infilled. All these basement windows have external metal security bars (probably not original). The left elevation forms the end two windows of a four window wide elevation fronting John Mitchel Place. Taken as a whole, this façade is the mirror image of the St Colman’s Park frontage, complete with railings around basement passage. The walls and window openings are as already described. However, the actual windows are visible and all are 6/6 sashes excepting the ground floor which is 6/1, and basement which has two 6/3 sashes (again with metal bars). The remainder of this elevation is described under HB16/30/005B. The right elevation, which is actually the back of the premises, has a shallow natural slate hip-roof return which rises two storeys in line with the gable chimney. It has half-round metal gutters. The walls of this return, which is an extension of the internal stairwell, are cement rendered. There is a large semicircular headed window to each half landing. Above the return is a smaller similar window which lights the half landing between second and attic floors. A modern flue rises at left. There is also a small window on the left cheek of this return at second floor landing level. At ground floor left is a one-storey return. To right of the main elevation, at ground floor level, is an uncoped rubble granite wall (brought to courses) which encloses a yard at the rear of the premises. Towards its right is a coach arch, with vee-jointed finely-dressed jambs and semi-elliptical imposted head with raised keystone, all in granite. It contains a large sheeted double-leaf timber door. The wall to its left and immediately above is cement rendered. At left are three 2/2 sliding sash widows which light the one-storey return noted above. Right of this yard wall is a three-storey outhouse, set at right angles to St Colman’s Park. It is divided between this property and 9 John Mitchel Place. Its street gable was designed to form the end piece to St Colman’s Terrace (HB16/30/007). It has a natural slate roof, hipped to the street end, but gabled at the other end. Half-round metal rainwater goods. The side walls are of rubble granite and the street gable of squared rubble, all brought to courses. On the street gable, at ground floor right, is a coach arch, now with a top-sliding timber door. To its left is a narrower door opening, subsequently infilled and with a window inserted (but also infilled). There are two window openings to the first and second floors, the latter diminished in height. All openings have heads and stepped jambs of red brick; over the first floor heads are three-piece granite lintels. All the windows have granite cills (except ground floor) but are infilled with red brick. These openings may have been aesthetic (to give visual balance to this end of the terrace) rather than functional. The wall of the section facing into the yard which belongs to this property has a door at ground floor level, and an infilled window on either side. On each of the upper floors is a loading door, in line with the ground floor window at left. Right of each of these doors is a window opening (with granite cill). All the first floor openings have three-piece keystoned granite heads. Those at second floor have heads and stepped jambs of red brick. The remainder of this elevation is described under HB16/30/005B.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Shown on 1835 OS map. Noted in 1835 valuation as belonging to James McAllister (who also owned HB16/30/005B and HB16/30/007), but unfinished. This implies still in course of construction. Described in 1863 valuation as having three and one-third storeys and a basement. Primary Sources: 1. OS 6" map, 3rd edition PRONI OS 9/15/1/3. 2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1B.389, p.40. 3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 2B/3/69H, p.132. 4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 12B/22/14B, p.39.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

One of a pair of three storey (+ basement and attic) granite Georgian houses. The elevations of this finely detailed and well-proportioned Georgian building have survived virtually unaltered. Of particular note is the use of dummy windows to complete a symmetrical composition. The original floor plan survives, and the rooms still retain much of their original character. Both buildings were designed and executed as a single block which is an imposing feature of the street and square.

General Comments

Date of Survey

12 August 1997