9 Townhall Street, Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone, BT78 4AX

9 Townhall Street, Newtownstewart, is a Grade B2 listed building.

Built around 1880, this is an attached three-bay two-storey rendered house located on the east side of Townhall Street. It was constructed as part of a planned group with its neighbours at 5 and 7 Townhall Street, which flanked the contemporaneously built former Newtownstewart Town Hall. Though some original windows have been lost, the house retains its fine style, proportion, ornamentation and some interior detailing. It occupies a prominent setting in Newtownstewart close to Newtownstewart Castle and the Main Street, and forms part of a distinct architectural group with the original town hall building.

The building is rectangular on plan, facing west, with a modern single-storey flat-roofed extension to the rear. The pitched natural slate roof is finished with blue and black clay angled ridge tiles and sits above polychromatic brick chimneystacks. The eaves are projecting, supported on carved painted timber brackets, with ogee-profile cast-iron gutters and rainwater goods.

The walling is painted with ruled-and-lined render over a plinth. A stringcourse runs between ground and first floor levels, and at first-floor lintel level is raised as segmental arch-heads over the first-floor windows. The principal (west) elevation is four windows wide. The left bay contains two openings at each level. The centre bay features a segmental arch-headed door opening with a replacement raised-and-fielded three-panelled double-leaf hardwood door and plate-glass overlight. The right bay contains a square-headed carriage arch with original vertically-sheeted double-leaf timber doors. Windows throughout are square-headed uPVC casements.

The north gable is abutted by an adjoining building, leaving only a blank rendered section exposed. The east elevation is largely abutted by the modern extension, with an exposed section containing painted render and a variety of uPVC casement windows at first-floor level. The south gable is entirely abutted by an adjoining building.

The building sits on Townhall Street with a paved rear court.

Historically, buildings occupied this site from at least 1833 according to Ordnance Survey mapping. The current structure was built between 1879 and 1880 when the original plot was redeveloped and divided into three separate buildings. According to Griffith's Valuation records, the site originally comprised a large plot used as a public house and offices, valued at £24 13s 1d and noted as a former gentleman's private residence. It is possible that an earlier building on the site was occupied by Jones Crawford Esq, valued at £28 in the early 19th century.

In 1877 the plot was split, and between 1879 and 1880 it was redeveloped into three separate buildings, numbered 1b, 1c and 1d (corresponding to what are now 5, 7 and 9 Townhall Street respectively). Number 1d—the present building—was occupied by Bernard Gillespie as a house with offices and small garden, valued at £10 10s. By 1901 it was leased by Dr James Rankin from Maturin Baird. In 1934 it remained leased from Maturin Baird but was occupied by Michael Gallagher, valued at £15 10s, with the valuer noting the house was "in very good condition".

The building is situated within a conservation area.