Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB17/02/001

Address :
Milltown House 136 Lurgan Road Lenaderg Banbridge Co Down BT32 4NL

Townland:
Lenaderg

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
25/10/1977 00:00:00

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:
201/16

IG Ref:
J1152 4865

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

A symmetrical three-bay two-storey detached house, built c.1825 and remodelled c.1840 to designs by Thomas Jackson, located to the west side of Lurgan Road north of Banbridge town centre. Rectangular plan with two-storey flat-roof extension to rear. Hipped natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and hips; two rendered chimneystacks to centre of ridgeline. Cast-iron rainwater goods on overhanging eaves with paired shaped eaves brackets framing paired soffit panels. Walling is V-jointed rendered to front elevation, returned to side elevations as quoins; smooth rendered platband between ground and first floor. Windows are timber sliding sash with projecting painted sills; 6/6 to first floor and 2/2 (horizontal glazing bars) to ground floor (unless otherwise stated). The principal elevation faces southeast and is five openings wide to each floor. To centre at ground floor is a tetrastyle Ionic portico on a tiled plinth base with plain entablature and cornice. Modern half-panelled entrance door with replacement transom light and sidelights. The southwest elevation has two multi-pane full-height timber casement windows to ground and first floor; balcony full width of first floor with ornate cast-iron railings supported on five slender cast-iron columns. The northwest (rear) elevation comprises 6/6 window to first floor left; round arched leaded-and-stained glass stairwell window with 3/6 window to ground-floor to centre; abutted to right by a two-storey flat-roof extension (angled to main block) which was further abutted by a two storey building (recently demolished). Extension comprises exposed former internal brick cross wall with gable removed and former door openings to ground floor centre, left and first floor left (blocked up with concrete blockwork); left cheek has a square-headed uPVC door and overlight with uPVC window directly over; right cheek has timber casement to ground floor with window opening directly above (not viewed). The northeast elevation is detailed as the southwest elevation. Setting Located on the site of a former linen mill, with part of the estate to north sold off for development and now occupied by a modern housing estate. Nothing of the former mill works remains. The river Bann adjoins the site to the south. The return to rear has been partially demolished and there is a large excavated site to the centre of the yard, where work on a modern extension has been abandoned. To rear of yard is a modern two storey outbuilding with natural slate roof, cement rendered walls and timber sliding sash windows. Bounded to road by mature trees and accessed via a bitmac driveway with modern electric gates. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Render Windows: Timber / uPVC RWG: Cast-iron

Architects

Jackson, Thomas

Historical Information

Milltown House is a country house dating from c.1825 and remodelled c.1840 possibly to designs by Thomas Jackson, an architect who was sought-after during the linen boom for his ability to transform modest Georgian residences into more imposing mansions befitting the increased prosperity generated by the linen industry. (www.bob-sinton.com; Rankin) The house is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833 captioned ‘Milltown’ and is rectangular on plan with a stable courtyard shown to the rear. ‘Milltown’ is surrounded by bleach greens and a ‘bleach mill’ is captioned close by. The next edition of the ordnance survey dating from 1860 shows that the bleach works has vastly increased in size and the Scarva to Banbridge railway has opened (1859). The house has a slightly altered plan and a porch to the front façade, the house having been remodelled by Thomas Jackson, an architect who was well-known in the area and who designed and remodelled many houses in the Bann valley. The rear return to the house is thought to have retained some 18th century fabric. It has largely been demolished, however, together with the majority of the outbuildings and the conservatory shown on the first survey photograph. A section of heavily-restored double-height outbuilding remains. Milltown was established in 1820 when John Smyth (1798-1890), the descendant of a linen-trading family, bought a corn mill and surrounding land from the Crawford family and erected an extensive bleaching and finishing works. The works expanded over the years to eventually become one of the largest on the River Bann and Smyth’s children and grandchildren became directors and managers of the works in their turn. Beside the bleach works Smyth built Milltown House c.1825, reputedly as a wedding present for his fiancé Anna McClelland of Belmont House. Fine stained glass was installed c.1835 and Italian craftsmen were employed in the plasterwork. The rear return housed the servants’ quarters. The cellar was divided into three sections, one of which was use for the storage of wine, despite the Smyths’ association with the local Temperance movement. (www.bob-sinton.com). John Smyth & Co became, by 1839, the largest bleaching and finishing works on the Bann with an output of 40,000 pieces of cloth per year. John Smyth was also a partner in the firm of Brice, Smyth and sons, linen makers of Brookfield. Three of John and Anna Smyth’s twelve children later formed the company William Smyth & Co Ltd, a successful firm which went on to employ more than 250 people. (Rankin; Bassett’s Directory; www.bob-sinton.com) In 1857 the Smyths became owners of the Bannville Beetling Mill and by this time had customers from all over the world including the USA, Italy, Russia and Germany. An iron foundry was established in 1876 for the company’s own needs as well as local light engineering work. By 1886 the bleach works and bleach greens covered an area of 220 acres. The works were water powered with steam used as an auxiliary and there were six iron water wheels. (www.bob-sinton.com; Bassett’s Directory) The house is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833 and is listed in the Townland Valuation as the home of John Smyth, a house, offices, corn and fulling mills and bleaching establishment valued at £135.3s. in total. The house is described as ‘new’ in this valuation book and appears to have been inserted after 1833, the new section measuring 58x31x25 and the old house remaining to the rear. Four outbuildings are listed including two single-storey stables. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists Milltown as the home of John Smyth Senior, a house, offices, gate lodge and land with buildings valued at £52, raised from an earlier valuation of £25. Dimensions are given for the porch, house, and three 2-storey returns with two-storey and single-storey outbuildings including a coach house and stables. John Smyth died in 1890, his obituary describing him as ‘one of the earliest manufacturers and bleachers in the linen trade…a most active and diligent merchant’. (Belfast Newsletter, 24th April 1890) John’s sons William and John Junior were running the family business at this stage and John Junior who had been living at Milltown House, continued there and is listed in the 1901 census. John Smyth is a linen merchant and bleacher, a widower, who is living with his sister, the wife of his brother James, four nieces and nephews and his son, a bleacher. The family have a staff of three, a parlour maid, a house maid and a cook. By 1911 John Smyth was 81 and the household continued much as before, his linen merchant brother, James, now present, and a nephew now studying at Trinity. John Smyth Junior died in 1914, and the house was briefly taken over by his son William Haughton Smyth who died in action in the First World War in 1916, as did his only brother Pierson F J Smyth. The house then passed to James Douglas Smyth, son of James. In the 1930s the house had 8 bedrooms, 2 receptions, 2 bathrooms, a cloakroom and a lavatory, 2 pantries, a kitchen and a scullery and was revalued at £70. Outbuildings included a piggery, garage, green house and potting house. The valuer commented that it was in good condition and repair and modernized. The house was hidden from the mill buildings by its situation on high ground. After the Second World War the bleachworks were demolished leaving Milltown House as a reminder of this once-flourishing industrial complex and of the Smyth family who had owned the house for more than a hundred years. (Cahill) James Douglas was the last of the Smyths to live in the house which was sold in 1953 to Samuel Gilchrist for £2400. (Valuation records) The building was listed in 1977 and in the 1980s and 90s repairs and renovations took place. Redevelopment of the site and extensions to the house itself have been proposed but are as yet unrealised. (HB file) References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/3/27/1 First Edition OS Map 1833 2. PRONI OS/6/3/27/2 Second Edition OS map 1860 3. PRONI OS/6/3/27/3 Third Edition OS Map 1903 4. PRONI OS/6/3/27/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18 5. PRONI VAL/1/B/350 Townland Valuation (1828-40) 6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/48D Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) 7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/25A-D Annual Revisions (1864-1929) 8. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2 First General Revaluation (1933-57) 9. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/L/3 First General Revaluation (1933-57) 10. Bassett’s County Down Directory, 1886 11. Belfast Newsletter, 24th April 1890 12. 1901 census online 13. 1911 census online 14. NIEA HB file Secondary Sources 1. Cahill, C “Linen houses of Banbridge” Banbridge Heritage Development Ltd, 1995 2. Rankin, K “The Linen Houses of the Bann Valley, The story of their families” Belfast, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2007 3. www.bob-sinton.com

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior

Historic Interest

V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

Milltown House is a three-bay two-storey detached house, built c.1825 and remodelled c1840, possibly to designs by Thomas Jackson. Composed on a symmetrical plan with central stair-hall, most historic fabric and detailing survives. The quality of the setting has been degraded by new development to north. The house has important historic connections with the linen industry in the area and is a fine example of the type among those in the district.

General Comments

Date of Survey

01 February 2012