69 Church Street, Antrim, BT41 4BA

The building at 69 Church Street, Antrim, is likely to date from the late 18th to early 19th century, although it has been altered, impacting its original appearance. It is a five-bay, three-storey gabled house facing south onto the main street. The roof is covered in Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses. The south elevation is constructed of random rubble with white-painted raised sandstone quoins at the corners and block surrounds to the windows, which have keystones. The windows are modern, rectangular timber frames with three lights, horizontally divided, incorporating fixed lights and a top-hung middle light. A full-width modern shop front and a central porch have been inserted into the ground floor. The original main entrance is located within an outer porch. The side and rear elevations are roughcast rendered and feature original rectangular timber sash windows. A building is shown on the site on an Ordnance Survey map from 1832. The building may be of late 18th or early 19th century date, but the large, uniform windows suggest a possible mid-19th century or later construction. It was originally the manse for the Unitarian Church and later served as the newspaper office for the ‘Antrim Guardian’. The site is located near a monument, recorded as SMR no. ANT 173, and is within a conservation area. The building is currently in commercial use.