38A & 38B Main St, Scarva, Craigavon, County Down, BT63 6LS

Two mid-terrace houses, two storeys and two bays, built around 1995 on the east side of Main Street in central Scarva. They replaced a former dwelling and shop that predates 1830.

The original building on this site dates to the late 18th or early 19th century and was originally lime-rendered. It is likely to have been one of the earlier buildings in Scarva. The original structure served for some years as a public house and shop. The village of Scarva was founded beside the newly-opened Newry Canal in 1746 by John Reilly of Scarva House. The earliest buildings in the town are likely to be those nearest the bridge, with the town extending northwards during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The impetus for development came from the opening of the Newry Canal in 1742, which connected Carlingford Lough with Lough Neagh and was principally designed to bring coal from east Tyrone to Dublin speedily and inexpensively. John Reilly, the founder, procured a patent for holding fairs and markets and to build a small dock and quay. Taylor and Skinner's 1777 map shows that early development was concentrated around the bridge over the canal. The 1797 Topographica Hibernica describes Scarva as a 'small neat village' with a large 'salt work' and fairs were held four times a year. By 1829, Scarva had a population of 170 living in 33 houses. By 1875, traffic along the Newry Canal was bringing cargoes of turf to Scarva, though the market was no longer being held. The population remained reasonably steady through the 19th century, standing at 157 in 1910.

The house appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834 and in the Townland Valuation of 1828–40 as the house, offices and yard of William Bartley, valued at £8. Griffith's Valuation (1856–64) lists the property as belonging to George Barclay (a minor), let to Moses A Carson and later James Carson. The house, office, yard and garden were run as a public house and general shop, valued at £11 15 shillings with an annual rent of £14. The valuation describes a two-storey house, one two-storey outbuilding and three single-storey outbuildings. Subsequent occupiers included James Hawthorne (1871), Elizabeth Hawthorne (1914), Elizabeth Bradley (1915) and Samuel Woods (1918). By 1918 the valuation had been lowered to £9. The 1901 census lists the house as a grocer's shop run by James Hawthorne, 67, farmer and grocer, living with his wife. By 1911, James Hawthorne had died and his widow had retired from the grocery trade, the house becoming her private dwelling. At the First General Revaluation (1933–34), the house was occupied by Samuel Woods and later Sarah Ann Jones. The house, shop, office and garden were revalued at £10 10 shillings, with accommodation comprising a kitchen, scullery, two rooms and three bedrooms, and rent of 7 shillings 6 pence per week. In 1946, the house was noted as being used as a post office. The original house and shop were partially demolished and replaced with a pair of dwellings around 1995. As new properties, these houses are of no historic interest.