9 College Square East, Bessbrook, Co.Armagh

Two-storey, two-bay late-Victorian terraced house at 9 College Square East, Bessbrook, built around 1883. The architect is unknown, though it may have been designed by civil engineer John Hardy. The building is one of twenty-three similar houses forming the eastern side of College Square, a formally planned late-Victorian square containing 53 dwellings in total, arranged on three sides around a central bowling green and playground.

The house is constructed of random-coursed rock-faced local Newry Granodiorite walling with stepped red brick dressings to the door and window jambs. Stone cills are painted, and door and window openings are square-headed with gauged brick detailing. The pitched roof is covered with fibre cement tiles and features roll-top black clay ridge tiles. A rectangular-section red brick chimney on the northwest has two terracotta clay pots. The eaves are flush, with separate red and buff brick courses and an alternating red and buff brick corbel course above. Rainwater goods are uPVC, with half-round guttering discharging to circular section downpipes.

The principal southwest-facing elevation is nearly symmetrical and sits flush with the adjoining terrace. A modest front yard is set to lawn and enclosed by painted hooped metal railings with a matching gate. A concrete path leads from the gate to a painted timber door with painted metal furniture and a square-headed fanlight above containing a single vertical glazing bar. The facade has regular fenestration with two windows on the first floor level in line with the main entrance door, and a window on the ground floor level. Windows are generally 1/1 double-hung sliding timber sash windows with window horns.

To the northwest, the building is attached to No. 10 College Square East. To the southeast, it is attached to No. 8 College Square East. Limited access to the northeast rear elevation reveals random-coursed rock-faced yard boundary walling with a painted timber door giving access to the rear yard. A single timber sash window is visible at first floor level. A flat-roofed outbuilding stands at the southern corner of the yard.

The house forms part of the planned College Square arrangement, a formal composition of mill workers' dwellings with the East, North and West terraces arranged around a central bowling green, playground and lawn. Each house is set back from the perimeter public road with a modest front yard enclosed by dwarf walling topped by hooped metal railings. The East terrace is stepped in groups of six dwellings to respect the site's subtle relief. Rear yards are enclosed by random-coursed rubble stone walling with square-headed door openings onto a wide rear access route. Front facades remain nearly uniform along the eastern terrace, with Bessbrook Town Hall (the old Institute building) located to the southeast. The central area of the square is divided into three lawn sections: the northwest section contains a bowling pavilion and green enclosed by painted hooped metal railings with established trees at its boundary; a lawn enclosed by hooped metal railings lies to the southeast; and an open children's playground occupies the centre, featuring three granite monuments. These monuments record the service of long-serving mill workers, a memorial playground arranged in 1927, and the history of Bessbrook Mill from 1760 onwards.

Materials: Newry Granodiorite walling; red and buff brick dressings; fibre cement tile roof with black clay ridge tiles; timber sash windows; uPVC rainwater goods.