51 Main Street, Hilltown, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5UJ

A sizeable late 18th century house retaining much architectural character and having a historical connection with the local parish church.

This is a late 18th century two-storey with attic, three-bay, double-pile former Church of Ireland rectory standing on the south side of Main Street. The building was probably contemporary with St John's Church of Ireland, erected by the Marquis of Downshire in 1766, and appears on Byer's map of 1797 and an estate map of 1803. It is cited as a parsonage on the 1834 Ordnance Survey 6-inch map and as a rectory in the 1902 edition. The building is believed to have ceased use as a Rectory early in the 20th century. An 1835 valuation records it as measuring 41 feet by 39 feet by 21 feet, with a 10 feet 6 inches by 7 feet by 20 feet return, corresponding with the rear section and indicating that the front pile is a later addition.

The pitched natural slate roofs are fitted with semicircular metal gutters and downpipe on the left of the façade, set on an inappropriate modern timber fascia. Each pile has a cement rendered and coped chimney to each gable. The front pitch of the right gable on the rear pile has rendered skews. The walls are lined with cement render and have a chamfered painted base course.

The north-facing front elevation has three bays, with the central bay narrower than the others and containing the main entrance. A single granite step rises to a reproduction stained timber door with nine raised and fielded panels, the top three square. Above is a rectangular transom light with Gothic glazing bars, set within a broad timber frame. To the left and right of the door are modern coach lamps. The ground floor left and right bays each have a pair of 6/6 reproduction sliding sashes with horns, exposed boxes and painted cills. At first floor, the left and right bays have similar windows, with a single 6/6 sash to the central bay over the door. Modern telephone cables abut the centre of the façade. The left gable of the front pile is blank and has an advanced chimney breast to centre. The left gable of the rear pile has two 4/4 sliding sashes to ground floor, two 6/6 to first floor, and a small 2/2 in the gable to the right; all are detailed as those to the façade.

A narrow two-stage return abuts the centre of the rear elevation. Its right section is lower and carries a metal water tank on its flat roof. The remaining wall of the main block to the left of the return is abutted by a single storey extension with a blank wall above. The exposed section of wall to the right is blank. The roof of the left section of the return is pitched with natural slate and boxed eaves and modern plastic rainwater goods. Its rear south-facing wall has a sheeted-over rectangular opening at ground level, a 4/4 sash between ground and first floor, and a 6/6 sash between the second floor and attic, indicating a stairwell. The right section of the return is blank save for a modern top-hung 1/1 window between ground and first floor on its right cheek. The right gable of the front pile is blank and the shared valley with the rear pitch has been built up. The rear pile has a 4/2 sash at ground floor left, two 6/6 sashes to first floor, and two 2/2 sashes in the attic.

The front garden is enclosed to the street by a rusticated concrete block wall with matching gate piers supporting modern wrought iron gates to the left and a small pedestrian gate to the right. West and east boundaries are enclosed by hedges. The drive runs up the left gable of the house with a path to the front door. The lawn contains mature trees and shrubs. To the east is a paddock planted with mature trees; to the west is a similar paddock upon which a post-War petrol filling station has been built. At the top of the drive is a gateway framed by a pair of tall dashed rubble stone piers with chamfered ashlar copings and rounded fieldstone finials. From these hang early 20th century wrought iron gates, the right one of which is damaged.

The yard to the rear of the house is enclosed to the south by a range of single storey outbuildings with natural slate roofs and whitewashed rubble stone walls. Its west boundary is a blank rubble wall. Its east boundary is enclosed by a single storey, single-bay outbuilding and gateway. The piers are dashed and painted rubble stone with steep pyramidal copings. The gates are flat iron with dog bars and decorative heads, with a pedestrian entrance to their left now without its gate. The yard has a concrete floor.