Former Londonderry Fire Station, Northland Road, Londonderry, Co.Londonderry, BT48 0AN

Former Superintendent's Residence, 6A Northland Road, Londonderry

This is a detached, double-pile, two-storey over-basement former residence built in 1897 to designs by the Belfast-based architectural partnership of Young & Mackenzie. Constructed in locally-quarried Barony Glen sandstone from Dungiven, the building was originally commissioned as the home of Dr. Charles A. Hetherington, the resident Medical Superintendent of the District Lunatic Asylum, which formerly occupied the land between Northland Road and Strand Road and was demolished in the 1960s. The building sits on an elevated site on the western side of Northland Road, with its principal elevation facing south-east and overlooking the River Foyle to the east. It stands on the boundary of the Clarendon Street Conservation Area, with the former fire station immediately to the south and modern housing and a higher-level modern building to the north and north-west respectively. The site is enclosed by a stone wall and a row of tall trees along Northland Road.

Young & Mackenzie were, according to the Dictionary of Irish Architects, the most successful architectural practice in Belfast, having become the leading architects for the Presbyterian Church in the north-east of the province and having received some of the most important commercial commissions in Belfast. Despite their primary base in the north-east, the firm were also extensively active in Londonderry, designing commercial premises on Foyle Street, Carlisle Road Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church on Clooney Terrace, professors' houses at Magee University, and one of the city's largest shirt factories on Patrick Street.

The building follows a T-shaped plan form, a layout already established by the time of the Annual Revisions Town Plan of circa 1873 to 1910, suggesting few major structural changes have been made since the late 19th century. The same map records that the house originally possessed grounds with a path extending northward to the entrance of the District Lunatic Asylum. At its completion the house was valued at £71, and the 1901 census described it as a first-class dwelling containing 12 rooms. Charles Hetherington, who was born in County Westmeath and served as both physician and surgeon at the asylum, continued to reside there until his death in 1932.

The double-pile hipped roof is covered in natural slate. Two sandstone chimney stacks — one small, one large — with buff clay pots rise from the north-east side, both centred on the ridge. A deep overhanging cornice runs at eaves level. Cast-iron rainwater goods are used throughout.

The principal south-east elevation is of coursed rock-faced sandstone and is four bays wide. There is a projecting hip-roofed bay to the right. To the left of this projecting bay, a single-storey flat-roofed entrance porch in painted render is approached via a perron flight of stone steps with replacement painted metal handrails to either side. The door opening is square-headed, set under a segmental arch with a keystone and a moulded cornice above leading to a low parapet wall painted in a contrasting colour. The doorway has a plain architrave surround and is fitted with a pair of raised-and-fielded, diamond-faced, three-panelled painted timber doors. Two square-headed windows on stone sills sit to the left of the entrance porch at ground floor level, with three aligned above at first-floor level; the projecting bay to the right contains two windows, one on the ground floor and one above at first-floor level. All windows at ground and first-floor level are timber sliding sashes with horns: 1-over-1 panes on the ground floor and 2-over-2 on the first floor. Basement-level windows are square-headed uPVC casements, one beneath each ground-floor window.

The south-west side elevation is also of coursed rock-faced sandstone. Its fenestration is irregular and includes a mix of small and large square-headed timber sliding sash, steel, and timber casement windows at ground and first-floor level, with uPVC casement windows at basement level. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted to this elevation.

The north-west rear elevation is three storeys and is of schist stone construction with red brick dressings to the window and door surrounds. A small slate-pitched stone extension projects at basement level to the extreme left of this elevation, with a single square-headed uPVC casement window to its right. A continuous stone band-course runs between the basement and ground-floor windows. The ground and first floors of the left projecting bay have two square-headed timber sliding sash windows each: 1-over-1 sashes on the ground floor and 2-over-2 on the first floor. The south-west elevation of the projecting bay has a single window of the same type at each of these levels, and at basement level a square-headed door opening contains a uPVC door with glazed top and bottom panes. To the right of the projecting bay the fenestration is irregular, comprising a mix of timber sliding sashes and timber casement windows, with a square-headed uPVC casement window at basement level. A continuous stone band-course again divides basement from ground-floor windows in this section. At first-floor landing level there is a tall semi-circular timber sliding sash window with decorative coloured margin panes. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted to this elevation.

The north-east side elevation is of coursed rock-faced sandstone. A three-sided canted bay rises from basement to ground-floor level on the left side and has a hipped roof with lead detailing. The basement level of this canted bay has a square-headed uPVC window, while the ground-floor level has square-headed 1-over-1 timber sliding sash windows. To the right of the canted bay at basement level there are paired square-headed uPVC windows. A single square-headed 1-over-1 timber sliding sash window sits to the right side of the canted bay at ground-floor level. At first-floor level there are three square-headed 2-over-2 timber sliding sash windows. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted to this elevation as well.

Internally, some original detailing survives, including original joinery and cornicing.

The building has a notable social history. Dr. Hetherington resided here from its construction until his death in 1932. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936–57) the house was occupied by Dr. John Watson and remained in the ownership of the Trustees of the Londonderry City and County Mental Hospital. The house was subsequently used as a nurses' residence in the mid-20th century. In 1961, following the relocation of the local mental hospital to Gransha in the Waterside, the building was acquired by the Northern Ireland Fire Authority. A purpose-built fire station was constructed to the south of the house in the same year, with the late-Victorian sandstone building serving as offices and residential premises for local firefighters. By the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956–72), the combined rateable value of the fire station site, including both the historic house and the modern buildings, was set at £1,120. The building was listed in 1979. It is currently in use as a language school for the North West Academy of English.