Thomas Dry Cleaner

Terraced two-bay four-storey house, built c.1820, having recent shopfront to front (south) elevation. Now also in use as laundry. Hipped roof, set perpendicular to street, hidden behind yellow brick parapet with granite coping, yellow brick chimneystack and cast-iron rainwater goods. Square-headed window openings with granite sills, raised render reveals and timber sash windows, one-over-one pane to first and second floors, six-over-six pane to third floor. Panelled pilasters and carved decorative fascia to shopfront, square-headed door opening with timber panelled door and overlight to east of shopfront, leading to overhead accommodation.

Thom's Directory of 1862 lists this building, with No.80, as the property of Anderson & Bailey, rope, twine and whip manufacturers. A variety of timber sash windows are retained, adding a patina of age to the façade, while the roof alignment may indicate an earlier date. It shares a parapet height with its neighbour to the east, creating a pleasing sense of uniformity. Thomas Street developed along the ancient Slige Mor highway to the west, and was named after an Abbey dedicated to Saint Thomas the Martyr, which was established in the area in 1177. The city water course partially ran along the street until it was paved over in 1696, and the ready availability of water contributed to the development of the street as a centre of brewing and distilling.