Hood & Co., 29 Main Street, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone, BT78 4AD

Hood & Co., a large department store formed from three originally separate Victorian townhouses, occupies a prominent position at the centre of the east side of Main Street, Newtownstewart. The main building dates from around 1850 and was subsequently united into a single commercial premises. Its most significant feature is an exceptionally rare and finely detailed early 20th-century shopfront, made by the Belfast firm Clokey's, which was active in the early to mid 20th century. Despite some internal modernisation, the building retains good proportions and ornate craftsmanship, and remains the most significant commercial building in Newtownstewart.

The building is rectangular on plan, facing west, and comprises what were originally three separate properties now read as a single multi-bay three-storey block. The left-hand section is lower, seven windows wide, while the right-hand section rises to a higher ridge level and is four windows wide. The roof is pitched natural slate with blue and black clay angled ridge tiles, painted rendered chimneystacks, and half-round painted cast-iron gutters. Walling throughout is painted render. Windows on the principal elevation are square-headed painted timber 2/2 sash windows with rendered sills.

The principal west elevation is dominated by a double shopfront that spans both blocks, divided by a rendered square-headed carriage arch fitted with a detached cast-iron gate bearing the lettering "HOOD & CO." The shopfronts are painted timber with plate glass glazing in painted timber frames. The glazed and gilded fascia carries the lettering "HOOD & CO." along with the maker's mark "Clokeys." At the left end, the shopfront entrance recess contains a painted timber and glazed door with overlight, a mosaic threshold with the lettering "HOOD & CO.," and a sheeted timber soffit. The north gable is entirely abutted by an adjoining building.

To the east, the rear elevation is abutted at left and right by two later two-storey outbuilding ranges. The exposed central section of the rear wall is rendered and contains a variety of painted timber 6/6 and 1/2 sash windows. The outbuilding range to the left has a hipped roof and is detailed similarly to the east elevation; its east elevation has a modern square-headed entrance insert at first floor level (the ground floor is not accessible), and its left cheek has a variety of 6/2 and 6/6 sash windows, with ground-floor windows blocked. A square-headed timber and glazed door sits to the right, and a basement door is accessed by stairs under a segmental arch. The right cheek of this range is not accessible. The outbuilding range to the right is composed of three blocks: the left block is hipped and detailed similarly to the south wing, with a catslide projection at its left end; the centre block is pitched with random rubble stone walling, square-headed windows, brick jambs, and a blocked segmental brick arch; the right block is detailed similarly to the centre block but all windows are blocked, and its left end abuts a further extension. This extension has a hipped roof that is gabled to the south, brick walling, and blocked square-headed windows. The south gable is entirely abutted by an adjoining building.

The history of the building is well documented. Buildings are shown on the site from the time of the 1833 Ordnance Survey map, though the earliest town plan, dating from 1828 to 1840, has not survived, making identification in the Townland Valuation impossible. The first clear documentary record comes from Griffith's Valuation and the associated town plan of 1856 to 1864, at which point the three premises were numbered 40, 41, and 42. Number 40 was occupied by Charles Hunter, leased from Mrs Hayne for the Representatives of Thomas Pratt, with recorded dimensions for the house, basement, and addition, together with two offices, and was valued at £12 4s 1d, later rising to £20 in Annual Revisions. Number 41 was occupied by Francis Gordon, leased from the Representatives of Lieutenant James Hamilton, with more extensive dimensions including house, basement, arch, and two additions with five offices, valued at £30 8s and later raised to £33. Number 42 was occupied by Pat O'Brien, also leased from the Representatives of Lieutenant James Hamilton, comprising a house and basement valued at £2 11s 11d, later rising to £5.

From 1877, John Hood owned number 41 outright and leased number 42 to a succession of tenants. Number 40 was occupied by the Wilson Brothers from 1893 and subsequently by members of the Wilson family until the 1930s. In the early 1900s the three properties were renumbered as 25, 27, and 29. Around 1935, Frank and William Hood took over the neighbouring shop to the west, becoming occupiers in fee of numbers 25 and 27. A valuer's notebook from this period describes the premises as "shops, stores, petrol pump, offices and yard," and remarks that they constituted a "very well built shop with modern shop windows. Largest and best shop in Newtownstewart and in a good position," further noting that "Premises have central heating and electric light from own plants. Drapery, furniture, hardware etc business carried on in premises." The shop was valued at £80, later reduced to £70. In 1934, the smaller shop at number 29 was still occupied separately, leased from the Representatives of John Hood, valued at £5 and later raised to £6 10s, described as a "General shop, front poor, position fairly good. Premises very narrow. Water in yard and WC."

The Omagh Almanac and County Tyrone Directory of 1885 lists John Hood & Co as artificial manure agent, coal merchant, draper, dressmaker, insurance agent, timber merchant, and undertaker. A photograph of around 1904, reproduced in Billy Dunbar's Newtownstewart Remembered (Strule Press, 1987), shows the three buildings as separate shops. Dunbar writes of them: "A little sweet shop [the former number 29] changed hands frequently, but at this period in time is thought to have been owned by Maggie Mullan. Hood & Smyth, drapers, ironmongers and undertakers were next, followed by Wilson Brothers, drapers and boot and shoe dealers." The shopfront and mosaic threshold are typical of early 20th-century design, and the Clokey's maker's mark on the fascia confirms a date in the early to mid 20th century, consistent with the period around 1930.

The building sits within a conservation area and is the most significant commercial building in Newtownstewart, combining architectural interest in its style, proportions, and ornate shopfront with considerable local historical interest as a store that has continuously served the community.