28 Lodge Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52 1NB

28 Lodge Road, Coleraine is a two-bay, three-storey-over-basement mid-terrace former dwelling with attic, now offices. Built around 1860, it stands on the east side of Lodge Road in Coleraine town centre and forms part of Waterford Terrace, a group of four houses (numbers 26–32) that represents one of the best preserved examples of mid-to-late-nineteenth-century terraced architecture in the town. The building has been refurbished in recent years with some replacement fabric, but retains much of its original character and typical mid-nineteenth-century detailing.

The building is square on plan with a two-storey gabled return to the rear. The roof is pitched natural slate with a rendered chimney stack. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods sit on moulded eaves. The walling is painted smooth render with a plain eaves band. A moulded plaque shared with the neighbouring building reads "WATERFORD/TERRACE."

The principal elevation faces southwest and is three openings wide at each floor. Windows are 6/6 timber sash without horns, featuring projecting painted sills; the ground floor and basement have replacement uPVC windows. The entrance to the ground floor is positioned at the right and comprises a bolection-moulded four-panel timber door with transom light in a moulded reveal. It is flanked by panelled pilasters with scrolled console brackets supporting a corniced canopy and is accessed by two stone steps with a curved plinth wall to the left side.

The northwest elevation is abutted by the adjoining building. The northeast (rear) elevation has a uPVC window to each floor at the right and steps down to a replacement timber door at basement level. The gabled return features a large modern stairwell window at the left. A modern lean-to extension with a uPVC conservatory at first-floor level adjoins this elevation, built over a glazed timber door. The southeast elevation is abutted by the adjoining building.

The setting comprises a lawned front area set back from Lodge Road, accessed by a brick paviour path to the entrance. The boundary is marked by hedges and a painted render wall with coping stones topped by modern metal railings. Square gate piers at the entrance have pointed caps and support modern cast-iron gates. Tarmacadamed alleys to the southeast and northwest provide access to a car park to the east. To the rear is a small yard enclosed to the northeast by a two-storey roughcast rendered outbuilding, which has two large square-headed entrances with modern timber gates and modern windows at first floor.

The present building dates from around 1860 and is part of a development of sixteen houses built between approximately 1859 and 1888 for Coleraine's rising middle classes. The terrace is first shown on the large-scale map of Coleraine from 1882. The group of four houses of which this building forms part was the first section of the terrace to be built, entering valuation records around 1860. These four houses are named Waterford Terrace on large-scale and valuation maps from the 1880s and differ from the later houses in the terrace by all having been built with basement storeys. The terrace was considered to occupy the best, because sunniest, side of Lodge Road and was occupied largely by middle-class merchants and professionals who kept at least one servant. Lodge Road was laid out between 1833 and 1845 and was first shown on O'Hagan's map of Coleraine from 1845. It is named after The Lodge, a dwelling house at the southern end, now replaced by a hotel.

The closing decades of the nineteenth century saw a building boom of terraces and villas in Coleraine of which local people were extremely proud. The boom is said to have begun when Thomas Boyd, a builder and elder in New Row Presbyterian Church, built Waterford Terrace, which was named after the Marquess of Waterford who owned much land locally. The houses were all let by December 1859. The present house, offices, yard and small garden was initially valued at £24 and £1 for the garden. It was occupied by Mr Austin and leased from Thomas Boyd the developer.

At the time of the 1901 census, the occupier was Letitia Gough, a widow of 86 years from County Tipperary, living with three daughters on a private income and employing a general domestic servant. By 1911, the house had been taken over by Robert Hunter, a merchant who lived with his Scottish wife and seven children. The house subsequently passed to Andrew Sheills in 1919, George S Madden in 1938 and Margaret Y Newcombe in 1950.

Valuer's notes from the 1930s list the accommodation as follows: in the basement, a kitchen, scullery and coal house; on the ground floor, two receptions, kitchen and scullery; on the first floor, one reception, two bedrooms and a bathroom; on the second floor, two bedrooms; and on the third floor, two attic bedrooms. The house had water laid on and gas lighting at this time. The building was listed in 1977 and in the 1980s bullet-proof glass was installed. In the late 1990s the rear was extended and other alterations made in order to convert the building to offices.