Fairmount, 34 Old Kilmore Road, Moira, Craigavon, Co.Armagh, BT67 0LZ

Fairmount is a detached three-bay two-storey late Victorian house dating from about 1860, located at 34 Old Kilmore Road, Moira, within what is now Moira Industrial Estate on the west side of Old Kilmore Road.

The building is rendered with pebble-dash walling, rusticated render strip quoins and a moulded render plinth course. It is square-on-plan with a flat-roofed two-storey projection to the rear. The roof is of natural slate with an E-plan hipped form, lower central hipped section, two valleys and black clay ridge tiles. A pair of tall rendered chimneystacks with decorative clay pots are symmetrically placed. Replacement metal rainwater goods are fitted to the timber fascia board with paired timber brackets.

The principal front elevation, facing east, is symmetrical across three bays. The square-headed window openings have smooth render surrounds, painted sandstone sills and replacement hardwood sash windows installed about 1990, with 6/6 pane configuration. The central feature is a three-centred arched door opening with a robust moulded surround. The timber doorcase contains a replacement hardwood panelled door with iron furniture, flanked by panelled pilasters with a pair of Art Nouveau-style leaded sidelights with panels below. Further pilasters support a timber lintel and leaded coloured fanlight above. The door opens onto four terrazzo steps with low raking plinth walls to the front bitmac area.

The south side elevation has a portrait window opening to the right and a small landscape window to the left, both now with uPVC windows. The west rear elevation is abutted by a flat-roofed projection with two window openings and further abutted by a uPVC conservatory. The rear entrance opens into the conservatory with terrazzo winder steps and a rear paved area enclosed by a concrete wall. The north side elevation is two bays over two storeys, detailed as the front elevation, with uPVC windows and abutted by a rendered wall and pedestrian steel gate. All ground floor windows retain original bowed iron security bars.

The interior is remarkably intact with a collection of decorative plaster cornices and an impressive timber staircase. The property was valued on Griffith's Valuation in 1861, confirming the dating to about 1860. The building first appears captioned on the 1903 Ordnance Survey maps but does not appear on the 1958 edition.

The house was erected in close proximity to the existing farmhouse Fortwilliam House, occupied by the Hull family, who also owned the land on which Fairmount was built. It is likely that Fairmount was constructed to provide additional family accommodation. Thomas Hull occupied the house until his death in 1874, after which the property passed to Agnes Hull. In 1909, Thomas Brownrigg MD, a dispensary officer, purchased the house outright, with a valuation at that time of £79.5.0. The property remained in the Brownrigg family until records from 1933-57 show Robert Duke as the owner. At that stage the house was noted to be in good repair with electric lights from the mains, hot and cold water from the mains, and drinking water by pumping.

Although the house has lost its original windows and landscape setting, and now stands within a modern industrial estate, it retains its residential appearance and good style and proportions. The building has group value with the neighbouring Fortwilliam House, also constructed by the Hull family, and makes a contribution to the heritage of the area. The concrete paved yard to the west is lined with modern single-storey structures and double-height industrial units forming part of Moira Industrial Estate. The front bitmac area extends as a driveway through front lawn, serving both the house and the industrial estate, opening onto the lane via a pair of modern steel gates on rendered piers with a single-storey reception building beyond.