19 Crawford Square, Londonderry

19 Crawford Square, Londonderry

A mid-Victorian end-of-terrace townhouse built circa 1881–82, most likely designed by Robert Collins. The building is a five-bay, three-storey structure over basement with an attic level, rendered throughout. It forms part of a stepped terrace of sixteen buildings situated on the southwest side of the tree-lined Crawford Square, on an elevated site overlooking the River Foyle. Nos. 1–18 are paired, symmetrical terraced houses; No. 19 is treated as a single entity, although physically attached to No. 18.

The rectangular plan faces northeast with a substantial three-storey return with attic level to the rear, which was altered in 2007 to accommodate four floors instead of three. The building is approached via a flight of concrete steps over a basement well.

The pitched roof is of replacement slate with two large chimney stacks of buff brick with buff clay pots (one rising from the northwest gable end, one from the southeast side) and a smaller offset chimney. The timber fascia boards have deep overhanging moulded soffit with small paired block modillions. Half-round cast iron guttering discharges to circular cast iron downpipes at either end of the elevation. Four single-bay semicircular roof dormers with slated cheeks contain timber-framed 1/1 sliding sash windows set within leaded surrounds.

The northeast elevation is the principal façade. A three-sided canted bay with parapet rises from basement to first floor level, with recessed panels between ground and first storey featuring moulded sills and strings. At basement level, square-headed openings with moulded surrounds contain segmental-arched 1/1 timber sliding sash windows. To the right of the entrance steps is a large square-headed shop front window with metal roller shutter and fascia signage topped by a hood mould on small decorative console brackets. Ground, first and second floor bay openings have segmental arches containing 1/1 double-hung timber sash windows with moulded horns and painted masonry cills; those to ground and first floors have moulded render architraves. A semi-circular arched door case with hood mould on decorative console brackets frames replacement vertically-sheeted modern timber double entrance doors with a plain glazed fanlight. A four-storey extension was added in 2007 to the northwest gable end, stepped back from the main elevation, containing one square-headed uPVC casement window at each level with moulded architrave surrounds to ground, first and second floors.

The northwest gable end is abutted by a smooth-rendered stairwell extension, three storeys high with an attic level, containing square-headed uPVC casements at each floor level and a square-headed door opening at ground floor. A hipped roof lift enclosure adjoins its southwest face.

The southwest elevation features a large rear return spanning the length of the site with a slate hipped roof containing modern Velux windows. The walls are rendered with square-headed uPVC casement windows onto a painted sill course, enclosed by a low rendered painted boundary wall. The rear elevation facing Academy Road spans the width of the site with two square-headed windows at each level, all uPVC casements, and a square-headed doorway at basement level opening directly onto Academy Road.

The southeast elevation is abutted by the adjoining property.

The site is bound by low rendered walling with concrete copings topped by replacement metal railings, all painted. The boundary includes further concrete steps to the right of the main entrance leading to the basement.