9 Loy Street, Cokstown, Co Tyrone, BT80 8PZ

9 Loy Street, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone

This is an end-of-terrace three-storey rendered house built around 1870, forming one of a group of three matching mid-Victorian terraced dwellings on the western side of Loy Street, at the southern edge of Cookstown's commercial centre. It is a well-proportioned example of its type and, being larger in scale than the modest two-storey houses surrounding it, cuts a prominent figure in this part of the town. Together with its two matching neighbours to the north, it has considerable group value and character, and stands as an important local example of the larger Victorian properties that began to appear as Cookstown grew in stature as a commercial centre. The building survives in an unaltered condition.

The building is rectangular in plan, with a three-storey return to the rear and a further attached two-storey return beyond that. There are also several single-storey outbuildings at the rear. The listing covers the house including all its returns.

The walls are of rendered masonry, painted externally. The roof is pitched and slated, with a brick chimney with a profiled capping to the south. The gable end to the north also carries a polychromatic brick chimney at its apex. There is a carved dentilled course at eaves level.

The front elevation faces west and is set back slightly from the street, with a small garden to the front bounded by a low rendered wall and painted railings. The composition is asymmetrical: to the right is a square-headed doorway set within an elliptical-headed surround, fitted with a replacement glazed and panelled timber door and an overlight above. To the left is a two-storey canted bay window, each floor of which is surmounted by a projecting carved stone cornice, and which contains 1/1 timber sliding sash windows with carved stone sills. The first-floor windows elsewhere on the front elevation are square-headed 2/2 timber sliding sash windows, and the second floor has 2/1 sliding sash windows of the same type. All windows have cut-stone sills. The classical proportions reduce as the building rises through its floors.

The rear elevation has an assortment of 6/6 and 3/6 timber sliding sash windows. The three-storey return has an assortment of 6/6 and 1/1 timber sash frames, while the two-storey return has 1/1 timber sash frames. The roofs to the returns are covered in artificial slate.

The site is shown as already developed on the Ordnance Survey map of 1833–34. The valuation of 1835 records two old thatched dwellings on the plot at that time: the southern one in the hands of a Mrs Story, and the slightly larger northern one in the possession of a David McCleland. By 1859, a William Bell was leasing the southern house from the Gunning-Moore estate, with an Elizabeth Ballantine leasing the neighbouring property. The present uniform terrace of three dwellings was built in 1870 by John Ballantine, and the leases of all three were acquired by a Richard Cluff around 1872. This particular property appears to have stood vacant for some years after completion, with the first recorded occupant, one Allen Millar, only appearing in 1876. Ellen Millar is listed as tenant in 1880, remaining until some point in 1894, when she was succeeded by a Jane Newton. At the same time, the lease of the whole terrace passed to a Mary O'Neill, who retained it until 1912, when it was taken over by a Richard Charles. Henry A. Glasgow followed Jane Newton as occupant in 1898, and was in turn followed by leaseholder Richard Charles in 1913. A David H. Charles was next in 1915, later becoming the leaseholder and — in what the records describe as a seeming reversal — renting the property back to Richard Charles. The lease was acquired by Dr T. A. MacLynn in 1949, who is recorded as both leaseholder and occupant until at least 1972.

The building sits within a mixed terrace of mainly two- and three-storey Victorian properties ranging in date from the early to the late 19th century, set back from the pavement along the western side of Loy Street.