59 Rosemount Avenue, Londonderry

A mid-terrace two-bay two-storey townhouse with attic, built in 1904 as part of a terrace of five similar dwellings known as Park Villas. The house is constructed of red brick laid in English Garden Wall Bond and is located on the north-west side of Rosemount Avenue, set on an elevated site to the north-west of the city overlooking Brooke Park, with the boundary wall of Brooke Park to its south-east side.

The principal elevation faces south-east onto Rosemount Avenue and is set two steps up from pavement level. It features a canted bay window to the left with roughcast render and paint finish, containing 6/6 uPVC replacement windows to the front and 4/4 uPVC replacement windows to the chamfered ends. A segmental-headed uPVC entrance door with fanlight is positioned to the right. Above the bay are two first-floor windows with segmental-arched heads and brick voussoirs, now replaced with 6/6 uPVC windows with moulded concrete cills. The elevation is topped by a projecting stepped dog-tooth red-brick cornice at eaves level. A large two-stage red-brick chimney stack with six terracotta vented clay pots rises from the north-east side, with matching cornice detailing in brick.

The roof is pitched and clad in replacement fibre cement with black clay ridge tiles and two modern rooflights. Aluminium rainwater goods are fitted to the front elevation with uPVC goods to the rear. The south-west side abuts neighbouring property No. 61 Rosemount Avenue, while the north-east side abuts No. 57.

The rear (north-west) elevation is two-storey with attic level and a two-storey rear return built at half-landing height, with pitched roof and chimney stack to the gable. The main elevation and rear return are finished with smooth render, with replacement uPVC windows to the first floor and first-floor landing level. uPVC rainwater goods serve the rear extension.

The terrace at Nos. 55-63 Rosemount Avenue was constructed in 1904 following the completion of Park Avenue by 1898. The development of Rosemount Avenue in the early 20th century created a residential street rising from Northland Road and extending south-west almost a kilometre until it met Creggan Road. This residential development was encouraged by the construction of the four-storey shirt factory for A. B. Grant & Sons, also built in 1904 and designed by local architect and engineer Matthew Alexander Robinson. The factory was constructed on former Church of Ireland land by the Belfast-based building firm H. Laverty & Son. The terrace was owned by William Doherty, and the dwellings were initially valued at £12 each in the Annual Revisions.

The first known occupant of No. 59 was Mrs. Louisa Gallagher in 1911, when the census building return described it as a second-class dwelling comprising eight rooms. By the 1930s, Mrs. Annie McVeigh had taken ownership of the terrace. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57), the property was occupied by Ms. Mary Ann Sheppard and revalued at £22. McVeigh retained ownership through the Second Revaluation (1956-72), when the value increased to £24 and Mr. J. J. Maguire was recorded as occupant. The house was listed in 1979, though it has since been delisted.

The architectural and historic integrity of the exterior has been significantly compromised by the loss of original windows, door, rainwater goods and roof covering, all of which have been replaced with modern alternatives. As a late example of its type with extensive alterations, its heritage interest has been substantially diminished.