Abbey, 59 High Street, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT78 1BA

Abbey

A detached three-storey rendered bank with Italianate detailing, built circa 1870, located on the south side of High Street in Omagh. The building is rectangular on plan, facing north, and represents a good example of a modest commercial building of its type and era, with most historic fabric surviving despite remodelling of the ground floor interior.

The pitched natural slate roof has a replacement chimneystack. The walls are painted render with rendered quoins over a splayed plinth and moulded sill-courses between floors. The principal north elevation is three windows wide to each floor above ground level. The upper storeys feature segmental arch-headed painted timber 1/1 sash windows with moulded architraves and keyblocks. Each floor is detailed differently, with the first floor windows distinguished by drip moulds on console brackets.

The ground floor contains a round arched-arcaded shopfront with four moulded archivolts springing from moulded imposts. A diminished arch to the right contains a painted timber moulded panel door with central fillet and plate glass tympanum. Three arches to the left have plate glass windows flanking a recessed modern door, with a modern fascia above.

The east and west elevations are cement rendered and abutted by adjoining buildings, with exposed sections remaining blank. The rear south elevation is cement rendered and contains a variety of square-headed uPVC casement windows and two replacement timber doors.

The building is first shown in its current form on the third edition Ordnance Survey map of 1905–6. Valuation records show a substantial increase in the property's value between 1871 and 1874 to £50, suggesting the building was developed in its present form on the site of an earlier property at this time. Valuation revisions from 1909–1917 record Robert and Elizabeth Watson as occupiers, and 1930s records describe the property as a house, office and yard. The building is situated within a conservation area, to the west of the former Royal Arms Hotel building.