54 James Street, Cookstown, Co Tyrone, BT80 8LT

This is an attached three-storey early Victorian building constructed around 1835, located on James Street in Cookstown. It was originally built as a single dwelling together with the adjacent building at number 56, and has group value with other buildings of similar age along the street.

The building is rectangular in plan with a two-storey lean-to addition to the rear dating from around 1880, and several outhouses to the rear. The external walls of the front elevation are painted render with chamfered quoins to the edges. The ground floor contains a shopfront also dating from around 1880, now boarded up. The shopfront originally comprised a shop window to the left with an integral shop door, a further single shop window to the centre, and an external door to the right leading to former accommodation above. Simple panelled pilasters with carved console brackets separate the shop window and shop door. The shop door has an overlight, both now boarded up. Pilasters also surround the external door, which has a segmental headed overlight. All openings are surmounted by a carved timber projecting cornice with a simple timber signboard. The upper levels contain 1/1 timber sliding sash windows with classical proportions that reduce in size towards the upper storeys.

The rendered south gable elevation has a flat-headed window at first floor but is otherwise blank. Two chimneys are present: one to the apex of the gable and one at eaves level supported off the lean-to by a buttress wall. Both are rendered with profile caps. The main roof is artificial slate with cast-iron rainwater goods. The east rear elevation is painted render with 1/1 timber sliding sash windows to the upper levels. The rear lean-to contains timber casement windows to ground and first floor levels, with a natural slate roof and cast-iron rainwater goods.

The building is street-fronted on the pavement of James Street on the north side of Cookstown's Main Street.

Historically, the property was recorded in the 1835 valuation as an old house occupied by Matthew Glasgow with a rateable value of £4-11-9. The building was enlarged in 1880 under the ownership of William Morgan, when the second storey was added and a rear extension constructed, substantially increasing its rateable value. The property subsequently operated as a public bar and shop from the early 20th century. The 1950 valuation records it as two separate properties—a public bar and a house—though both were occupied by Edward Quinn. Samuel Montgomery acquired the lease in 1954 and remained the occupant until 1972. The building is now vacant.