Barrett Hardware, 70-72 Main Street, Fintona, Omagh, Co.Tyrone, BT78 2AE

Barrett Hardware is a substantial late 19th-century commercial building occupying a prominent mid-terrace position on the south side of Main Street, Fintona. Built around 1875, it is a five-bay, three-storey building over a basement, originally constructed as a draper's shop with living quarters above and now in use as a general hardware shop. It retains much of its original appearance — including its stucco façade, timber sash windows and cast-iron shopfront posts — and makes a significant contribution to the character of Fintona's commercial streetscape. Such premises are increasingly rare, and this is a good example of the larger type.

The building is T-shaped on plan, facing north, with a four-bay three-storey return to the rear and a multi-bay two-storey over basement rendered outbuilding to the rear yard. The roofs are pitched and covered in natural slate with black clay ridge tiles. Large rendered chimneystacks rise from either gable end, fitted with clay pots. The gable-ended rear return has its own rendered chimneystack, with a further tall yellow brick stack rising from the east pitch. Rainwater goods consist of replacement metal guttering to a box fascia and cast-iron downpipes.

The front elevation is rendered and painted, with tooled stone quoins at the corners and a moulded sill course running across the second floor. At second-floor level, the five window openings are segmental-headed with moulded architrave surrounds, diamond-faced keystones and single-pane timber sash windows sitting on the continuous sill course. At first-floor level, the windows are square-headed, each with a moulded architrave surround and a moulded cornice carried on a pair of decorative console brackets; these contain single-pane timber sash windows, and their continuous sill course forms the cornice to the shopfront fascia below.

The ground floor is divided into a three-bay shopfront to the west and, to the east, a square-headed door opening to the upper floors alongside a carriage arch occupying the two easternmost bays. Four decorative fluted cast-iron columns define the three shopfront bays, resting on stone steps to either side of the shop entrance. The shopfront itself is a replacement hardwood glazed unit set back behind these columns. The shopfront opening, the door opening and the carriage arch are all flanked by rendered pilasters supporting a rendered fascia and moulded cornice running the full width of the elevation, with applied raised lettering reading 'BARRETT HARDWARE'. The square-headed door giving access to the upper floors contains a replacement hardwood panelled door with a rectangular overlight, flanked by a pair of elongated foliate console brackets. The side and rear elevations are in plain render with tooled stone quoins.

At the rear, the easternmost bay above the carriage arch is recessed, with a single-bay three-storey lean-to adjoining the next bay. The remainder of the rear elevation is abutted by the lower four-bay three-storey gable-ended rendered return. Because the top floor of this return is three bays deep, an open space is created between it and the main rear elevation; this has been glazed in as a uPVC conservatory. Rear window openings are square-headed with stone sills throughout. The easternmost bay over the carriage arch has uPVC windows. The lean-to contains single-pane timber sash windows and margin lights with coloured glass. Windows to the main rear return are 2/2 horizontally-glazed timber sash windows; those at basement level have redbrick surrounds. A square-headed door opening at basement level in the rear gable has a vertically-sheeted timber door.

The carriage arch opening leads through to the rear yard via a passageway with a lathe and plaster soffit, rendered walls and a bitmac carriageway descending from street level. To the south of the yard stands the former outbuilding: a multi-bay two-storey over basement rendered structure with a pitched natural slate roof with steel to the ridge, metal rainwater goods and painted rendered brick walling with painted tooled stone quoins. Its openings are square-headed, with a single timber sash window and four vertically-sheeted timber doors. A round-headed opening gives access to a basement via a flight of stone steps.

The building's history is well documented through historical records. The site is shown on the first Ordnance Survey map of 1833 and the second edition of 1852, with an earlier building in place. Annual Revision records from 1860 onwards list the occupier as George Blakeley, leasing a house, offices, yard and small garden valued at £4 15s from Lucinda Christie. By 1875 to 1876 the earlier building had been demolished and the site was recorded as building ground and waste. A new building was noted as being in progress in 1876 and completed by 1877 as a house, offices and garden, valued at £50, with Geo Bullock and Co as occupier and the property leased from John S Eccles. A new office was noted in 1885. William Bullock was added as an occupier in 1889 but removed in 1902. Belfast and Ulster Directory issues from 1901 onwards list 'Bullick & Co' as drapers of Fintona, indicating use as a business premises throughout this period, although Annual Revision records did not formally describe it as a shop until after 1934, when the lessor became Amy H McClintock, the valuation was raised to £57 and the premises were described as a house, shop, offices and garden. At this time the accommodation comprised two kitchens, two sculleries, two pantries, a bath with cold water, a WC, seven rooms and seven bedrooms. The valuer noted: 'House too large for occupier, electric light throughout save in attics.' A plan and dimensions recorded a shop and basement and a two-storey outbuilding to the rear, with the main house mostly three storeys. In 1935, following an appeal, the valuation was reduced to £50, with £2 for the outbuildings. The occupier at the time, Samuel McCrea, stated: 'The premises [were] built in 1875…when they were the centre of an extensive business and when the farming community was in a flourishing condition…I consider even the original valuation too much owing to the prevailing depression and change in marketing.' The valuer commented: 'These premises are the largest of the kind in Fintona. The place is entirely too large for owner, and contains a great deal of waste space — particularly in unnecessary passages, staircases and small "glory holes".'