16 Hall St., Maghera, Co.Londonderry

16 Hall Street, Maghera

This one and a half-storey, one-bay rendered end-terrace house has been demolished. It was built between 1840 and 1859, architect unknown, and was latterly used as a café.

The building formed the north-eastern end of a symmetrically composed terrace of five listed buildings (numbered 16 to 24 on the south-east side of Hall Street). The terrace arrangement placed a taller two-storey central house flanked by two smaller one-and-a-half-storey houses at each end, each with a matching half-dormer on the principal elevation.

The principal north-west facing elevation was one bay wide. A half-dormer to the roof contained a single square-headed window with painted timber surround and stone sill, fitted with scalloped painted timber bargeboards. At ground floor level, a timber shopfront window adjoined a single entrance doorway with a fixed transom light above a modern timber half-glazed door, providing direct access from the Hall Street footpath. The walling at first floor had a smooth rendered finish (painted), with vertical timber boarding (painted) at ground floor level.

The north-east facing side elevation was rendered smooth and painted. The one-and-a-half-storey gable contained two irregularly spaced square-headed window openings: a one-over-one timber sliding sash window at ground floor level and a small window at first floor. The single-storey gable below held one square-headed opening positioned between two surface-mounted metal chimney stacks.

The building was principally rectangular in plan, with a natural slate duo-pitched roof, a single-storey cat-slide roof to the rear, and a rendered chimney stack to the north-east side. Materials comprised smooth rendered and vertical timber siding for the walls, cast-iron rainwater goods, and timber windows.

The north-east gable abutted a small walled garden with a rubblestone wall set slightly back from the front elevation line, and a rendered blockwork wall with concrete coping to the side.

Historical Context

The terrace appears to have been constructed during the interim years between 1854 and 1857, possibly incorporating or remodelling pre-1850s structures. The first valuation town plan of circa 1838 depicted nine modest dwellings in this location, likely single-storey and probably thatched, none formally recorded. The revised Ordnance Survey map of 1854 shows a similar arrangement, but the valuation plan of 1857 identifies the present detached row, indicating construction between these dates. The mildly picturesque styling of the frontage is consistent with this period, though similar designs were common in the 1820s-30s.

In 1859, the terrace was divided into six properties. Number 16 was occupied by Samuel Martin, with other residents including Peter Campbell, High Browne, Thomas Hutchinson, Robert Clarke, and Alexander Hipson. All held low valuations ranging from £1-10-0 to £2, leasing from James Johnston Clark of Largantogher House. Martin was succeeded around 1870 by James Mullin. Subsequent occupants included Catherine Smith (before 1892), Rose Ferron (circa 1899), and by 1904, George or William Taylor. Census records for 1901 and 1911 mention a George Taylor, described as a tailor, living in a second-class dwelling with stone or brick walls, a slate roof, three front windows, and four rooms in use. George and Matilda Taylor occupied the property until George's death in 1946 and Matilda's in 1952. William Taylor then became listed as occupant and freeholder, remaining so until at least 1957.

Before 1976, the property was converted to a café. The building was listed in July 1982 alongside the rest of the terrace. By 1994 it had become vacant and disused. After falling into a dangerous state of disrepair, it was demolished in 2008. This loss disrupted the symmetrical composition of the original terrace, making the design intention difficult to read and detracting from the quality of the Hall Street streetscape.

Hall Street was originally known as Brewery Lane, named after a brewery belonging to Alexander Clark (1767-1842) on the western side of the street. It was renamed around 1860 in honour of Frances Clark (née Hall), wife of James Johnson Clark (1809-91) of Largantogher House, son of Alexander Clark.