Arthur Cottage, Dreen, Cullybackey, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, BT42 1EB

Arthur Cottage, Dreen

Arthur Cottage is a group of vernacular farm buildings situated off the main road between Cullybackey and Portglenone, reached by a lengthy lane that passes a small car park. The house and outbuildings date to the early 19th century, with a building shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1832–33, though not recorded in the first valuation. The revised map of 1857 shows an enlarged property with extended outbuildings to the rear. Valuation records of 1861 name George Gurley as occupant, with Henry H. McNeill as the immediate lessor, and a rateable value of £2–5–0.

The group has been restored to a mid-19th-century appearance. Original elements retained include some roof timbers. Salvaged timberwork was obtained with advice from officials at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, and the Cinec Harke system was used to stabilise the external walls. Flax has been used as roof covering material on the house, and the result is considered typical of farm buildings erected during that period.

The house faces south-east and is constructed of whitened stone with a black base. The roof is thatched between cement skews, and a plain red brick chimneystack rises on the right-hand gable. A sheeted half door is flanked on either side by a 6×6 sashed window; the window on the right is of increased proportions. The frames are exposed and the sash stops are bevelled. The house has no window openings in the rear or side walls, with fenestration provided only to light the two chambers. The outbuildings are set at right angles to the rear, facing south-west, with walls of similar construction but roofs covered with natural slate. Rainwater goods are of metal with gutters fixed to shallow corbel coursing. From the north-west corner the sequence runs: a timber sheeted doorway flanked by vertically sliding windows with sashes divided into two horizontally, followed by a series of large timber sheeted double doors. At the rear, starting from the north-east corner, there are two window openings and then a series of ventilation openings of varying size. No openings occur in the gables. Between the house and outbuildings is a lean-to stone structure with stone walls, a natural slate roof, and a timber sheeted single door.

Arthur Cottage is traditionally associated with the forebears of Chester Alan Arthur, 21st President of the United States of America (1881–1885). The President's father, William Arthur, emigrated from Ulster in 1816. Chester Alan was one of seven children born to William and his wife, Malvina Stone. However, the link between President Arthur's ancestors and this house remains unproven.

The property was acquired by the Northern Ireland government in 1963. The then Minister of Finance, Terence O'Neill, intended to hand the cottage to the National Trust, but the Trust declined the offer as the presidential connection could not be verified. The building is now in the care of Ballymena Borough Council and operates as a gallery and museum. The adaptation of the interior of the outbuildings to house an interpretative centre is considered an appropriate alteration.