28 Charlemont Square East, Bessbrook, Co.Armagh

28 Charlemont Square East is a two-storey, two-bay mid-Victorian terraced house built between 1862 and 1866 to unknown architectural designs. It forms one of twenty-seven similar houses which, together with five larger two-and-a-half storey shop buildings to the southeast, comprise the eastern terrace of Charlemont Square—a formally designed mid-Victorian square of 66 buildings in total, arranged on three sides around a central green and primarily accessed from Fountain Street to the southeast.

The building is constructed in random-coursed rock-faced local Newry Granodiorite walling with red brick dressings. It has an L-plan form facing southwest with a single-storey flat roofed rear return. The roof is pitched fibre cement with angled black clay ridge tiles, and features a rectangular-section red brick chimney to the northwest with a single terracotta clay pot. Flush eaves are detailed with a red brick corbel course; cast iron rainwater goods with half-round guttering discharge to circular-section downpipes, though some sections have been replaced with uPVC, particularly on the northeast elevation and rear return.

The principal southwest elevation is nearly symmetrical and sits flush with the main terrace, narrowly set back from the larger shop buildings at its southeastern end. A modest paved front yard is enclosed by smooth render dwarf walling topped with hooped metal railings and a similar painted metal foot gate to the southeast. A paved path from the gate leads to a panelled painted timber door positioned to the southeast of the facade, fitted with two glazed panels to the top half and painted metal furniture, with a rectangular fanlight above. A window sits to the northwest side of the entrance. The facade displays regular fenestration: two windows at first floor level align with the main entrance door at ground floor level. These are generally double hung sliding timber sash windows with window horns and exposed sash boxes. Painted stone cills and stepped red brick surrounds frame the gauged-brick cambered door and window openings, though many doorway and window heads have been squared off with bands of painted smooth cement render.

The building is attached on the northwest to No. 29 Charlemont Square East and on the southeast to No. 27 Charlemont Square East.

The northeast elevation faces onto a concrete yard enclosed by rock-faced random-coursed stone walling at the boundary. At ground floor level on the southeast end sits an increased-width side opening casement window with a replacement concrete cill. A double hung sliding timber sash window occupies the centre elevation at first floor level. From the northwest end of the facade, a single-storey rear return projects northeast to the yard boundary walling with a flat felt-covered roof. The southeast side of the rear return features a panelled painted timber door with two glazed sections to the top half, a top-opening timber casement window to its right, and a separate boiler house further right accessed from the yard through a painted planked timber door—this boiler house is set back and appears to incorporate an earlier outbuilding. The rear elevation has a smooth rendered finish with concrete cills and timber casement windows at ground floor; original stone walling is retained at first floor level. The rear return has a smooth cement render finish and uPVC rainwater goods.

The site of No. 28 is part of a planned arrangement comprising 66 mill workers' dwellings and shops forming a formal square with East, North and West terraces arranged around a central green. Each house is set back from the perimeter public road and footpath with a modest front yard typically enclosed by dwarf walling topped by hooped metal railings. The terraces to east and west are stepped in groups of two dwellings to respect the subtle relief of the site. Generally, a larger rear yard serves each dwelling, enclosed by random-coursed rubble stone walling with a square-headed door opening onto a wide rear access route. Rear facades throughout the square are much altered with various extensions of differing shapes and sizes. The front facades are nearly uniform along the east and west terraces. The central square is now laid to lawn and enclosed by hooped galvanized metal railings with established trees at its boundary. A children's playground is located to the southeast and includes a monument to the installation of electric lighting in 1911; Bessbrook's War Memorial is centrally located to the southeast of the playground.