3 Bannview Terrace, Gilford, CRAIGAVON, County Down, BT63 6HX

A two-storey four-bay mid-terrace house built c.1860, formerly comprising two separate dwellings which were converted into a single dwelling c.1980. Located directly on Dunbar Street in Gilford Village.

The building was erected as part of a terrace of seven houses at a time when Gilford's population was expanding rapidly due to the success of the Dunbar McMaster spinning mill, which had been established in the late 1830s. The population of Gilford more than quadrupled between 1841 and 1851, from 643 to 2,814, and by 1870 the mill was employing over 2,000 workers and had constructed 200 houses between 1836 and 1862. Although these particular houses were not built by Dunbar McMaster & Co, they formed part of the town's expansion in the wake of the linen industry's success and were frequently occupied by mill workers. The terrace does not appear on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858 but the seven houses are listed in Griffith's Valuation of 1864, confirming their construction date of c.1860. They were built by developer James Hall, who had leased the land from local landowner William Uprichard.

The building features a rectangular plan with a pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles, replacement chimney and replacement uPVC rainwater goods. The roof has been slightly raised. Brick walling is laid to stretcher bond with headers to every sixth course and raised cement pointing; a cement plinth runs around the base. The principal south-west-facing elevation is asymmetrically arranged with the door located right of centre, a single window to the right, two windows to the left at ground level, and four first floor windows directly above. The ground floor windows feature 6/6 timber sliding sash windows with horns, painted masonry cills and 1½ brick flat arches. The far right ground floor window was previously a door prior to alteration. The replacement door is of no architectural interest. The rear elevation has been completely refurbished with modern windows and is of no interest. The building remains in domestic use.

The house was comprehensively altered c.1980, with the general appearance and proportions retained but much of the original detailing and character lost. The roof has been replaced, no internal historic fabric remains, and the rear elevation has been entirely altered. Although it holds some local significance on the main street, its architectural and historical interest has been substantially compromised by these extensive alterations. It is evident that the building has been substantially rebuilt, with the façade being the only part retaining any originality.

The terrace forms part of the urban fabric lining the north side of the arterial route into Gilford from the north. Opposite stands a gate lodge, beyond which lies a twentieth-century housing estate. A hard landscape yard to the rear is bordered by further twentieth-century housing.

Historically, the two original houses within this building were each designated as first class properties in medium repair. The first dwelling was valued at £6 10 shillings with rent of 3 shillings per week, while the second was valued at £7 10 shillings with rent of 4 shillings per week. Both had one outbuilding. Documented tenants of the first dwelling include William Kennedy (1864), Thomas Flatchen (1866), Jane Flatchen (1878), William Clayton (1893), James McKee (by 1900 with three daughters employed at the mill), Joseph McDowell (1903), Robert W Beattie (1906), John Roberts (1911, a commercial clerk at Gilford Mill), and William J McAlonen (1917-1929). The second dwelling's tenants included Thomas McCullagh (1864), Archibald Penk (1878), Mrs Harland (1893), and John McCausland (by 1900), who was a Spooling Master with a family that included mill workers. Subsequent tenants included Henry McNeill (1901, 1908), James J Muldrew (1907), Thomas Cunningham (1909, a flax rougher with children employed as flax machine boys, roller boys and yarn doffers), Frederick McConnell, William J McAlonen (1914), Thomas Adamson (1917), Michael Lonergan (1924), Richard Greenaway (1925), William Scott (1926), Alexander Sefton (1930) and Mary Sefton (1934).