house

Terraced two-bay three-storey house, between 1830-40, possibly over basement. In use as offices, 1875. Now in use as offices. One of a group of six. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, rendered (shared) chimney stacks over red brick construction having stepped capping supporting terracotta pots, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves having iron ties with replacement uPVC downpipe, pre-1993. Rendered, ruled and lined walls. Square-headed window openings with cut-granite sills, six-over-six and three-over-six (top floor) timber sash windows. Square-headed door opening in square-headed recess with two cut-granite steps, timber panelled (hollow) pilaster doorcase on cut-granite padstones, and timber panelled door having overlight (leading to square-headed internal door opening with glazed timber panelled door having sidelights on panelled risers, and overlight). Interior with carved timber surrounds to door openings having timber panelled doors, timber panelled shutters to window openings, cut-stone (marbleised) chimneypiece, c.1900, to ground floor, stairhall with timber staircase having turned timber balustrade supporting carved timber (mahogany) handrail, cut-grey marble chimneypiece, c.1875, to first floor having cast-iron inset, and reeded moulded plasterwork cornices to ceilings. Street fronted with concrete footpath to front [VO/SS].

A well composed house of the middle size built by the Rowe family of Ballycross House as one of a group of six identical units (with 15503104 - 106, 108 - 109) making a positive contribution to the streetscape aesthetic of Rowe Street Lower with attributes identifying a sophisticated design programme including the vertical emphasis of the massing contributing to a stepped roofline corresponding with or following the incline or slope in the street, the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual effect, the understated surface articulation focused on a Classically-detailed doorcase displaying good quality carpentry, and so on. Having been well maintained, the house continues to express an early aspect with the elementary composition surviving in place together with most of the historic or original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior, thereby upholding the character of the collective ensemble in the street scene.