Site of former house and outbuildings off Newtownkennedy, Strabane, Co Tyrone

Site of a former house and outbuildings located on the east side of a lane off the north side of Newtownkennedy, Strabane, County Tyrone. The site was formerly occupied by a long two-storey house of probable part 1833 construction, which evidence suggests may have been raised a storey in 1880. The building was demolished some time after 1983.

The property was originally a modest single-storey structure, appearing on the Ordnance Survey map of 1833-34 but not recorded in the first valuation of 1832-34. The second valuation of 1857 assigned it a low rateable value of 15 shillings, confirming its humble character at that stage. The occupant in 1857 was William Read, with Francis O'Neill as the immediate lessor. Read was succeeded in 1879 by John Duncan, who appears to have carried out improvements to the property, as its rateable value had increased by almost £3 by 1880. It is likely that the upper storey was added to all or part of the structure at this stage. From circa 1891 to 1895, John Duncan rented the building to Timothy Fitzpatrick, resuming residence himself in 1896. John Duncan or a relative of the same name remained in residence until 1912, when a note in the valuation book described the house as not fit for occupation.

A photograph taken in 1970 shows a gabled building with whitewashed walls. The southern gable is clearly visible, with the lower half constructed in rubble and the upper half in brick, indicating that the building was raised a storey at some point. The contemporary survey description notes the building as a terrace of three two-storey houses with walls built of stone and whitened. Chimneys and part of corners were of brick, with a segmental brick arch over a blocked opening to the rear. Double-hung sash windows contained full glazing bars in all but two windows on the first floor. Doors were sheeted and the roof was slated. The building was noted as being in very poor condition.

After 1912 the house appears to have been abandoned, though it was subsequently put to use as an outbuilding during the later twentieth century. The building was demolished some time after 1983.