Criggan House, 41 Upper Strabane Road, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone, BT81 7BE

Criggan House is a substantial suburban dwelling built around 1923, situated on the north side of Upper Strabane Road in Castlederg. It is a detached three-bay two-storey house, rectangular on plan and facing south, set within its own grounds.

The house displays many early twentieth-century details including concrete mouldings, decorative eaves brackets and highly elaborate ironwork. Stylistically it is detailed in an Arts and Crafts or late Victorian manner, which is notably inconsistent with its construction date. While it retains most of its original external and internal fabric and is among the better buildings of its period in Castlederg, it is not considered of special architectural or historical interest.

The building is constructed with a hipped natural slate roof topped with roll-moulded terracotta ridge tiles. Two redbrick chimneystacks with heavy moulded cornices and terracotta pots sit on the main roof, with a further stack to the rear projection. Ogee brackets support the overhanging eaves, which now have a plastic fascia and replacement rainwater goods. The exterior walls are pebbledash rendered with a smooth cement rendered frieze at the moulded stringcourse, smooth render quoins and plinth course.

The front elevation comprises a single-bay projection to the left with a three-sided canted bay window, and a further three-sided canted bay to the right. A lean-to slate roof extends from the right bay to the inner corner, forming a portico to the central entrance which is supported by a single concrete Doric column. The left bay has a hipped natural slate roof with a plain frieze to the eaves, repeated on the right bay and portico. Applied lettering reading 'Criggan House' flanked by clover motifs appears on the frieze. All window openings are square-headed with architrave surrounds, concrete sills and single-pane timber sash windows. The central door opening has a concrete architrave surround and is fitted with a six-panelled timber door with bolection mouldings and rectangular overlight. The door opens onto the elevated portico, which is accessed by three nosed concrete steps.

The west elevation has two windows to the ground floor and one window to the first floor; the latter has single-pane timber sash windows and coloured glass margin lights that light the stairs. The rear elevation accommodates a two-storey projection to the left abutted by a single-storey extension, with a flat-roofed extension to the right. The east elevation has three window openings to both ground and first floors.

The front of the house is set back from the road by an elevated front lawn accessed via a concrete footpath with three nosed concrete steps. This area is enclosed by highly decorative cast-iron railings mounted on a low rendered wall. A matching pair of vehicular gates stands to the west and a pedestrian gate to the front garden; both sets are supported on pairs of square-plan concrete rendered piers with moulded concrete capstones and pebbledash panels. A bitumac drive provides access to the rear.

A modern single-storey unit with connecting corridor was added around 2000, constructed with hipped artificial slate roofs and uPVC windows and doors.

The house first appears on the fourth edition Ordnance Survey map of 1939. According to the owner, it was built in 1923. Valuation records show the house first appearing in 1933, when it was occupied by Elizabeth McCay and leased from Andrew McCay. Andrew McCay later became the occupier, leasing the property from William C Smyly. At that time the valuation was £23, later raised to £30. The house comprised a kitchen, scullery, two reception rooms and four bedrooms with a bathroom and water closet. The water closet appeared to be external to the main house in an adjoining outhouse at this stage. Contemporary outbuildings were recorded with walls and roofs of corrugated iron. The valuer noted the property as a 'Very good modern house in a fair position'.