Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB07/07/009

Address :
Arthur Cottage Dreen Cullybackey Ballymena Co. Antrim BT42 1EB

Townland:
Dreen

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
26/09/1991 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Gallery/ Museum

Former Use
Thatched House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
Yes

Thatched:
Yes

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
55/13

IG Ref:
D0514 0602

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

The buildings are sited off the main road from Cullybackey to Portglenone a short distance to the west of the former town. The approach is by means of a lengthy lane that passes a small car park, and turns at right angles to disclose the building. The house faces south-east and the outbuildings that are set at right angles at the rear face south-west. The construction is of whitened stone with a black base. The roof of the house is thatched between cement skews and a plain red brick chimneystack rises on the right hand gable. Flax has been used as the roof covering. A sheeted half door is flanked either side by a 6/6 sashed window. That on the right hand side is of increased proportions. The frames are exposed and the sash stops are bevelled. There are no window openings in the rear or side walls of the building and this is the only fenestration provided to light the two chambers of the house. The walls of the outbuildings are of similar construction but the roof is covered with natural slate and rainwater goods are of metal with the gutters fixed to shallow corbel coursing. From the north-west corner the sequence is as follows:- A timber sheeted doorway flanked by a vertically sliding window on either side with sashes divided into two horizontally and then two large timber sheeted double doors. At the rear starting from the north-east corner there are two window openings and then a series of ventilation openings of varying size. There are no openings in the gables. A gap between the house and the outbuildings is taken up mostly by a lean-to stone structure with stone walls, a natural slate roof covering and a timber sheeted single door.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

A building is shown on this site on the OS map of 1832 / 33, but not noted in the first valuation. The revised OS map of 1857 shows the property is a larger form with the outbuildings to the rear lengthened. The valuation of 1861 records the occupant as George Gurley, with Henry H. McNeill the immediate lessor and the rateable value calculated at £2-5-0. This building is traditionally associated with the forebears of Chester Alan Arthur, 21st President of the United States of America, 1881-85. The President’s father, William Arthur, emigrated from Ulster in 1816. Chester Alan was one of seven children born to William and his wife, Malvina Stone. The property was acquired by the Northern Ireland government in 1963. It was the intention of the then Minister of Finance, Terence O’Neill, to hand the cottage over to the care of the National Trust, however the Trust declined the offer as the link between the President Arthur’s ancestors and the house was not proven. The building is now in the care of Ballymena Borough Council References- Primary sources 1 PRONI VAL/1A/1/32 OS map, County Antrim sheet 32, with valuation
references (1832 / 33-c.38) 2 PRONI VAL/2A/1/32A OS map, County Antrim sheet 32, with valuation references (1857-c.60) 3 PRONI VAL/2B/1/65B Second valuation, Craigs (c.1860) Secondary sources 1 Montgomery, Eric, ‘The Scotch-Irish and Ulster’ (1965), pp.18, 22 2 Girvan, W.D., ‘Lists of Historic Buildings…Antrim and Ballymena’ (Belfast, 1969), p.32 3 “The Presidents from Ulster” in ‘The Sunday Times Magazine’ (?c.1980) 4 Information supplied by Ballymena Borough Council 5. Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, Antrim & Ballymena 1969, page 31 6. Booklet published by Ballymena Borough Council 7. Article in Perspective magazine (undated) 8. Article in Cintec News Ireland (undated) 9. Dictionary of American Biography 10. Montgomery, Eric, The Scotch-Irish and Ulster, 1965, pp., 18 & 22 Other sources 1 EHS Monitoring of Thatched Buildings, report by Colin Hatrick, 18 May 1994 References – Primary Sources The map of 1833 shows the house and the first part of the outbuildings. The map of 1857 includes all of the outbuildings. The building is associated traditionally with the forebears of Chester Alan Arthur, 21st President of the United States of America, 1881-1885. The President’s father, William emigrated from Ulster in 1816. Chester Alan was one of seven children born to William and is wife Malvina Stone.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

These buildings are sited a short distance off the main road from Cullybackey to Portglenone, about half a mile from Cullybackey. The intention of the scheme that has been undertaken was to restore the group to a mid 19th century appearance. It is considered that this was successful and that the result is typical of farm buildings erected at that period. Original elements that were retained as far as practicable included some of the roof timbers. The advice of officials from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum was obtained and salvaged timberwork was made available. The Cinec Harke system was used to stabilise the external walls. As wll as being important in themselves as surviving vernacular buildins are also important for their strong, if unproven, association with a late 19th. C American president.

General Comments

Use of salvaged timbers and adaptation of the interior of the outbuildings to house an interpretative centre are considered to be appropriate alterations.

Date of Survey

21 June 2001