95 Ballynahinch Road, Dromore, BT25 2AL

This is an excellent and now somewhat rare example of a mid-19th century hearth lobby access vernacular dwelling, largely original both inside and out. It retains its original roof structure and interesting features including a dry closet and fixed bellows for the kitchen fire. The property benefits from an unspoiled rural setting with a small garden, original walling and gates.

The house is a single-storey, rectangular-plan dwelling built before 1858, set within a small garden close to the Ballynahinch–Dromore road, approximately 3.3 kilometres east of Dromore. A projecting gabled porch is positioned to the right of centre on the south front. The front entrance, located on the west face of the porch, has a timber-sheeted door. The south (gabled) face of the porch contains a window with a 1/1 timber sash frame. To the left of the porch are three window openings, all with 2/2 painted timber sash frames, smooth render surrounds and painted stone sills. The east gable has a four-pane fixed metal frame window to its left side. The north façade contains two windows: the left has been partially bricked up, while the right has a six-pane fixed frame. A metal boiler housing stands to the right side of the north façade, with a uPVC oil tank at the left corner.

The west gable has no openings. Two timber sheds abut this gable, the first larger structure roofed with corrugated iron, with a smaller shed attached to its north face housing a dry closet, also corrugated iron roofed. Walls are finished with roughcast render to the front and sides, with plain render to the porch. The rear wall is part roughcast render and part painted random rubble. The pitched roof is covered with corrugated iron and carries three rendered chimneystacks—one to each gable and one slightly east of centre. Rainwater goods are part galvanised steel with cantilever brackets (many rusted and fallen away) and part uPVC.

Located in the hedge to the east is a water pump with a 'cow tail' handle, embossed with the maker's name 'D Dugan Lisburn'. The front garden is enclosed with low roughcast-rendered walls with plain coping. A broad gateway has square roughcast-rendered gateposts with pyramidal caps and 'vernacular' wrought-iron gates.

Historical records first show a house of matching size and orientation on the revised Ordnance Survey map of 1858. The 1861 valuation records it as a house and forge occupied by Samuel McFadden, with Robert McFadden as immediate lessor (probably holding a lease from the Meade estate), rated at £1. In 1863, Alexander Creighton was tenant with Eliza Wilson as immediate lessor. William Wilson took over the tenancy and lease in 1870 and remained until circa 1930, by which time the freehold had been acquired by William Watson. By 1936, James Gourley held the property, renting it to Robert Kingham, and from 1942 to Samuel Jess. The 1951 valuation lists the property as vacant, with James Gourley resident from 1956 until 2008. The forge mentioned in the 1861 valuation may have been housed in a separate building or, if within the main structure, likely at the western end, though no obvious evidence of this now remains. The forge ceased to be mentioned in valuations after the 1860s.