16 Ferry Street, Portaferry, Co Down, BT22 1PB

A well-detailed two-storey terrace house occupying the middle position on the east side of Ferry Street, Portaferry. Built around 1861–1862, it was originally constructed as a police station, serving in that capacity until 1909, before converting to a post office until 1990. The building retains considerable historical and architectural interest as part of the town's civic infrastructure.

The western front facade is asymmetrical in arrangement. At ground floor level, a plain sheeted timber door with fanlight sits centrally to the left, flanked to its left by a sash window without astragals. To the right of the door is a similar sash window, with the lower pane now split into two panes, the bottom half boarded up—possibly marking the former location of a post box. At the far right is another plain timber door with plain fanlight. Between the second window and second door is a square moulded frame, possibly where a notice board or stamp machine once sat. The stone cill beneath the second window shows considerable wear. The facade is finished in lined render and painted, with paint used to simulate a plinth. The first floor carries four unevenly spaced sash windows with Georgian panes.

The rear facade contains a small single-storey lean-to extension with a window to the east side, fitted with a modern frame. To the left of the lean-to are two sash windows covered with security bars and a timber sheeted door to the far left. To the right of the lean-to is a further window. The first floor rear has three windows similar to those on the front, with the second set at a lower level corresponding to the stairwell. This elevation is finished in whitewashed roughcast. The roof is gabled and covered with Bangor blue slates, with three rendered chimney stacks featuring decorative pots on the middle stack. An eaves course is present. Rainwater goods consist of a mixture of PVC and cast iron.

While the site appears to have been occupied according to Patrick O'Hare's map of 1799, the present building likely dates from around 1861–1862, as the second valuation map and returns of that period clearly indicate the ground was being actively built upon. The building was purpose-built as a police station and continued in this function from circa 1861 to 1909. Following this, it served as the local post office until 1990. The adjacent building, No. 14, functioned as the Nugent estate office for many years.