29 Cargin Road, Toomebridge, Co. Antrim, BT41 3NU

A detached three-bay two-storey farmhouse erected around 1895 by McManus builders of Randalstown, though its architectural style is more characteristic of the 1870s. It is one of three buildings in the locality built by this firm. The house is well-built and formally designed on a symmetrical plan, with a centrally placed porch. It remains in relatively unaltered condition and is a good example of the type characteristic of the area.

The house faces south and stands north of Cargin Road, set prominently in mature gardens. It is rectangular on plan with a single-storey storm porch to the centre, a slightly lower two-storey gabled rear return to the north, and a skewed single-storey extension to the west. The pitched roof is covered in natural slate with overhanging eaves and timber bargeboard. Yellow brick chimneys to the gable ends are built in Flemish bond with corbelled tops and dog-tooth detailing, each carrying three decorative square chimney pots.

The walls are random rubble, almost squared towards the outside edges, with a smooth rendered plinth. Windows throughout are timber sliding sash with stepped brick surrounds and brick voussoirs, horizontally divided (1/1 at ground floor and 2/2 at first floor unless otherwise stated).

The principal south elevation comprises three bays across two storeys. A single-storey storm porch with pebble-dash finish occupies the centre, flanked by paired windows in each bay. The porch is lit by paired timber windows to the south and contains the principal entrance—a single-leaf four-panel mahogany door with transom window above. The north side of the porch has a fixed rectangular window with mahogany panel below. At first floor, the central bay has paired windows while the flanking bays have single windows. A single-storey pitched random rubble extension abuts the south gable-end.

The west gable elevation is blank. The west elevation of the return is slightly lower and pitched, with three bays across two storeys. The left bay contains a timber four-panel entrance door (top two panels glazed) at ground floor, with stepped brick surrounds and voussoirs matching the principal entrance. The right bay also has an identical door detail, whilst the central bay has a single window. At first floor, each bay has a single window.

The rear north elevation contains windows to ground and first floors on the left side, detailed as the west elevation. The return is offset to the west, with a blank gable to the north. The east gable has single windows to ground and first floors at the right. The return east elevation contains a single window to the left bay at both ground and first floors, and a single replacement timber sliding sash 2/2 horizontally divided window to the north side at ground floor. A skewed single-storey extension abuts the west gable of the house, with pitched slated roof and rounded ridge tiles. Its south elevation is random rubble, the blank gable-end is pebble-dash, and the south is brick, featuring two modern garage doors and a timber vertically-sheeted door to the left bay.

Rainwater goods are black uPVC.

The site is bound by mature gardens to the east and Cargin Road to the south, with vehicular access through a yard containing modern sheds to the west and industrial-use outbuildings to the north. The front garden is accessed via a decorative modern steel pedestrian gate set between yellow brick piers with square capping stones topped by octagonal finials.

Historical records show that a long rectangular building occupied a site at a sharp bend in the road in 1833 (first edition Ordnance Survey map), and this remained unchanged on the 1857 second edition. This earlier structure, now incorporated into the yard of the present house, was positioned exactly where current commercial workshop premises now stand. The Townland Valuation records show no buildings in the townland valued at more than £5 before the present house was built. Griffiths Valuation records a house and office on the site occupied by Stephen Mullen, leased from Rev. William O'Neill, valued at £1.5s. The 1882 Valuation Revision shows the same valuation with James McKee as occupant. By 1905, the current house had been erected and was valued at £9, with James Thompson as occupant and ground rent paid to Lord O'Neill. McManus Builders Merchants retains commercial premises in Randalstown today. Slater's Directory of 1894 records "McManus, Hugh & Sons, Main Street, Randalstown—Ironmongers and Hardware Men", whilst the Belfast and Ulster Directory of 1902 lists the same business as "Steam sawing, Joinery mills and Builders".