Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB09/14/018

Address :
Cookstown Technical College 19 Loy Street Cookstown Co Tyrone BT80 8PZ

Townland:
Loy

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
08/01/1993 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Office

Former Use
University/ College Building

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
124/07

IG Ref:
H8107 7795

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Owner Category

Financial

Exterior Description And Setting

A tall square parapet-roofed building in neo-Georgian style, consisting of two storeys on a raised basement storey, of rustic brick with artificial stone cornice, keystones, and other dressings, with a two-storey hipped block in plain red brick to its rear. It stands within the built-up area of the town on rising ground facing the main street but set well back from it within its own grounds. FRONT BLOCK Walling is of rustic brick which features channelled rustication to the basement, and has recessed rectangular panels to the parapet and to the ground floor below cill level. The roof is of hipped form, of Bangor blue slates, but hidden from view from close quarters at the front behind a parapet. The main east elevation is symmetrical, seven windows wide to the first floor, with a central classical doorcase to the elevated ground floor, approached by a double flight of exterior steps with plain iron balustrading surmounted by miniature cast iron urn finials. There is a projecting plinth and block cornice to the basement, cill course to the ground floor, frieze and deep cornice to the first floor, and coping to the parapet, all in artificial stone. The frieze is mounted with well-formed bronze lettering inscribed "Cookstown Technical College". Windows to the first floor are rectangular timber vertically hung sliding sash, 6 over 6, with horns, with exposed boxes in moulded wooden surrounds, set in a flat-arched opening with a keystone in artificial stone. Windows to the ground floor are similarly sashed but are segmental arched and are 3 over 9, set in a segmental arched opening with keystone. The main entrance contains a pair of rectangular timber panelled doors with a rectangular fanlight containing a double row of intersecting semi-circular glazing bars, recessed in a stone surround which has a segmental pediment supported on a pair of shaped stone brackets embellished with dentils. The basement storey contains two doorways one to each side of the external steps. They contain rectangular timber panelled doors. The exterior staircase contains a circular small paned timber fixed light window in the concave curved front, and a rectangular timber fixed light and opening vent in the recessed side. The south elevation of the original block contains one window, to the ground floor, similar to those of the front. The rear west elevation of the front block is of plainer character and detail than the previous elevations, lacking the roof parapet. It is largely obscured by a later flat-roofed projecting two-storey red brick link block to the later rear extension, and by a smaller later hipped-roofed projection, but contains one original timber sashed window to the first floor on the south side of the link. There is also an original cast iron downpipe and hopper to the right of this window. The north elevation of the original block is similar to the south. REAR BLOCK The rear extension is of very utilitarian design, of two storeys, with a hipped slated roof, and built of plain red brick. Windows on all its elevations are modern rectangular fixed lights and opening vents set in flat-arched openings. Rainwater goods are modern moulded uPVC discharging into cast iron hoppers with cast iron downpipes. One hopper is dated 1929 and presumably has been re-used from the now partly obscured rear of the original building. Doorways in the extension contain modern rectangular timber glazed doors and screens. SETTING: The building stands in a tarmac plot laid out as car park. The front boundary is formed by ironwork railings on a rendered brick plinth wall which contains the main gateway, hung with gates of similar character; these railings and gates are of plain square section but incorporate a slight flare towards the top of each vertical member and are undoubtedly original elements, designed by the architect of the original building. The side boundaries are formed by modern fences and railings.

Architects

Smith, Roland Ingleby

Historical Information

As the date stone states, this building was constructed in 1929 to designs by Roland Ingleby Smith. The section to the rear, although in a different brick, appears to be original, and is shown on the OS town plan of 1936-37. The building remained a technical college until 2006, and was sold in 2007. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI VAL/12B/37/7C Annual valuation revision book, Cookstown ED, 1916-29 2 ‘Irish Builder’, 23 July 1934 [Illustration of building] 3 PRONI VAL/3C/7/8 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban, 1936-57 4 PRONI VAL/3G/142/2/1-4 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1937-51 5 PRONI VAL/4B/6/10 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.1, 1956-72 6 PRONI VAL/4B/6/11 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Cookstown Urban vol.2E, 1956-72

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 X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A tall square parapet-roofed building in neo-Georgian style, consisting of two storeys on a raised basement storey, of rustic brick with artificial stone cornice, keystones, and other dressings, with an ancillary two-storey hipped block in plain red brick to its rear. This is an inter-war building in a neo-Georgian style of some distinction, nicely proportioned, refined in detail, and dignified in appearance, with some elegant details, including the gateway and railings to the front boundary, the double flight of exterior steps with miniature cast iron urn finials surmounting the balustrading, and the pedimented main entrance. The wing to the rear, although part of the original building, is not of very sympathetic design or material and has itself had inappropriate modern windows inserted. The block was designed by the Government architects' office under the direction of its chief architect Roland Ingleby Smith FRIBA, and as such may be considered to have additional interest in this respect, as well as the significance of its continuing educational function brings to it.

General Comments

Date of Survey

17 December 2007