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

68 James Street, Cookstown

This is a grade B2 listed building: a three-storey terraced house built around 1878, now in commercial and residential use. Although altered internally and externally, it remains a well-proportioned example of mid-Victorian terrace architecture and is notably larger in scale than the modest two-storey houses surrounding it, giving it a prominent appearance on the street.

The building is rectangular in plan with a three-storey lean-to return to the rear. A rubble stone outbuilding, built around 1880, stands to the rear. The building forms part of a group of three matching terraced buildings (designated as a group for heritage purposes) within a longer row of mixed Victorian terraces along James Street.

The front west elevation is set back from the street behind a tarmac parking area. A doorway to the right features a segmental arch with a timber panelled door and overlight, flanked by panelled pilasters surmounted by carved scrolled timber console brackets with acanthus leaf stops. These brackets support a projecting carved timber cornice and pediment. To the left stands a canted bay containing 1/1 timber sash windows, topped by a projecting stone dentilled cornice now partially obscured by modern signage. A projecting box-like rectangular sign has been attached above the ground floor bay.

The windows to the right of the upper levels are segmental headed, containing 1/1 timber sash windows with carved stone surrounds and central keystones. The first floor window has a continuous projecting stone course at sill level. The second floor window sits on a cut-stone sill with decorative carved stone brackets beneath. The canted bay windows are square-headed 1/1 timber sash with stone surrounds. The bay has a hipped roof with a decorative carved timber fascia. Rendered panels fill the spaces between first and second floor windows of the bay. The roof is natural slate with a polychromatic brick chimney with profiled capping to the north.

The rear east elevation contains replacement uPVC windows. The main lean-to return features an assortment of timber casement windows on concrete sills, with a painted door on the south elevation at second floor level. A metal staircase leads to a concrete platform at first floor, providing access to the lean-to door and outbuildings.

The derelict stone outbuilding opposite the rear elevation has timber sash windows and elliptical-headed archways (now blocked) on its east elevation with brick dressing surrounds. The west elevation is similar, with square-headed window openings to the upper level retaining their brick dressings.

The building is set within a mixed terrace on the rising sloped pavement to the eastern side of James Street, at the southern edge of Cookstown's commercial centre. It is set back from the pavement to provide a hard-landscaped parking area. The wider terrace comprises mainly two-storey Victorian buildings ranging in date from the early to late nineteenth century.

Historical Context

The terrace of three matching buildings was constructed in 1878, probably by Richard Cluff, who lived in the large two-storey house three doors to the north (present number 62) and whose family had held the lease of this plot since at least 1859. Number 68 initially served as a parochial house or curate's residence. Its first occupants were Reverend Peter James Byrne and Reverend Thomas Rice (from 1883), with an original rateable value of £24-15-0.

Following the building of a new parochial house in Convent Road in 1906, Henry Lindsay became the tenant. Samuel R. Kingston succeeded him in 1910. In 1924 the lease was acquired or passed to John Todd (who lived in the neighbouring house to the north, number 66), and in 1927 William J. Glasgow became the tenant. Glasgow remained until sometime between around 1930 and 1935. Arthur C. Thompson was recorded as the householder in 1936, John Bishop in 1937, and E.M. Doris in 1940. A M. Doris was noted as occupant in 1956, with M. Cameron as immediate lessor. Mary G. Doris was listed as tenant in 1964, with L.M. Doris as immediate lessor, a situation that remained until at least 1972.

The building's front elevation is well detailed and the survival of the stone outbuilding adds to its interest. The building shares group value with the adjacent listed buildings numbered 13/010A and C. The building is currently in use as a nail parlour on the ground floor with accommodation on the upper floors.