118-120 High Street, Holywood, County Down, BT18 9HW

118-120 High Street, Holywood is a three-storey late Georgian building dating to around 1830, comprising two former dwellings entered through a shared gateway. It represents a significant example of the architectural development that accompanied Holywood's transformation from a small fishing village into a popular bathing resort and commuter town during the period 1820 to 1850.

The building is constructed of painted smooth render over brick with a pitched natural slate roof and brick and rendered chimneystacks. The principal elevation faces north and is six bays wide. At ground floor centre stands a square-headed carriage entrance, surmounted by a plain entablature with an ovolo moulded cornice on decorative console brackets supporting a fascia. Windows throughout are predominantly 6/6 timber framed sliding sash, with diminutive 3/3 examples to the second floor. All windows feature projecting painted masonry sills. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods are mounted on moulded projecting eaves; plastic goods are present to the rear.

The building is U-shaped on plan with a series of returns and a large two-storey modern extension to the rear. The east elevation contains a 2/2 sash window with horizontal glazing bars to the first floor at right, and diminutive 1/2 sash windows to ground and first floor at left. A lean-to extension projects to the left, with a single window opening to the right cheek; the left cheek abuts the adjoining building. The rear elevation features replacement timber doors and windows at ground floor with single windows to first floor on both sides, and a single-storey extension with modern timber door and multi-paned window. A two-storey lean-to return extends along the left side, further extended by a single-storey addition framing the left side of a courtyard. A full-height return to the right contains windows to the gable and abuts the adjoining building. The west elevation is abutted by the adjoining property.

The conversion into shopping units has resulted in minor alterations to the plan and loss of some historic fabric, though the building remains a good example of its type and one of the older properties in this part of Holywood.

The site is located on the south side of High Street on the approach to Holywood town centre. A narrow grass area to the front is accessed via a cobbled stone pathway under the carriage entrance. The rear comprises a courtyard and tarmacadamed car park.

Historical records show that both dwellings appear on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834 and the Townland Valuation town plan of circa 1834, though substantial increases in valuation suggest rebuilding or remodelling had occurred by the second edition of 1858. The eastern dwelling was initially listed in 1834 as one of three houses exempted for not reaching minimum valuation. By Griffith's Valuation (1856-64) it was occupied by James Johnston Junior, renting from John Harrison, valued at £16 (later £18) and comprising a house, office, yard and small garden. The western dwelling, valued at £7 14 shillings in 1834, had risen to £12 by Griffith's Valuation. A succession of tenants occupied both properties throughout the nineteenth century, including Thomas Graham, Margaret Johnston, Patrick Sherry, William Dugan, Margaret Quinn, William Courser, Margaret Trotter, Annie Ferguson, Samuel Tait, Jane Martin, Henry Taggart, George Gatchett, Elizabeth Nicholson, William Taylor, George F Gregory and John L Lee. Both parts of the building are currently in use as shops.