Volt House, almshouse in County Donegal

This does not grant access. Most recorded buildings are privately owned; view them only from public ground unless the owner allows entry.

What is recorded here

Read the whole record

Attached end-of-terrace corner-sited three-bay three-storey house, built 1732 or 1752, having single-bay return and modern single-storey extension to the rear (west). Originally built as a residence for widows of deceased Church of Ireland. Now in use as a heritage centre. Pitched natural slate roof having cut stone eaves course, cement rendered chimneystacks to gable ends (north and south) with clay pots over, and with cast-iron rainwater goods. Ashlar limestone construction to front elevation (east), cement rendered walls to other elevations. Square-headed window openings having dressed stone sills, and with six-over-six pane hornless timber sliding sash windows at ground and first floor levels and three-over-three pane hornless timber sliding sash windows at second floor level. Central square-headed doorway to the front elevation (east) having timber panelled door, and with cut stone blocked architraved surround with entablature over with pronounced cornice. Set slightly back from road to the west side of the Diamond, Raphoe. Encaustic tiled threshold to doorway. Moulded cut stone plinth wall to road-frontage to the east having wrought-iron railings over with cast-iron finial above; rendered walls to the north and south boundaries of enclosed yard to front. Doorway served by wrought-iron pedestrian gate with cast-iron finials.

This fine well-proportioned building is one of the feature structures located around the Diamond to the centre of Raphoe. It originally dates to the first half of the eighteenth century, and was built in 1732 as a residence for widows of deceased clergy by the Bishop Nicholas Forster, Church of Ireland Bishop of Raphoe from 1716-43. An alternative date of 1752 is provided in some sources. It remained in the ownership of the Church of Ireland until recent times when it was converted for use as a heritage centre, providing an important amenity for locals and visitors alike. This is probably the ‘widows alms houses’ that were ‘repaired’ by Fitzgibbon Lough (architect of Buncrana Railway Station and Lough Eske Castle) in 1862; these repairs were carried out by Robert Ferguson of Derry at a cost of £220. Of particular note are the fine tooled ashlar limestone façade (unique in Raphoe) and the well-detailed blocked architraved doorcase with moulded entablature over, which provides an attractive central focus. It is classically-proportioned with the window openings diminishing in scale towards the eaves. Its visual expression and integrity is enhanced by the retention of salient fabric such as the natural slate roof and the timber sliding sash windows. The attractive cut stone plinth wall and wrought-iron railings and gate add to the setting and context of this appealing building, which is a landmark feature in the centre of Raphoe, and an important element of the built heritage of the local area.

From the Buildings of Ireland (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage) record 40833016

Places near here

Photo credits

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Kenneth Allen, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Willie Duffin, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Andreas F. Borchert, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kenneth Allen, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Jim Harte and CompanyHouse · 50 yd

Explorer Tom Jim Harte and Company has a front door covered in weird square and circle patterns! Built around 1885, it looks like…

Diamond BarPub · 59 yd

Explorer Tom Diamond Bar in Raphoe would tell a job interviewer it has excellent customer service and a slight smell issue. It sits…

Diamond HouseHouse · 73 yd

Explorer Tom Diamond House in Raphoe has inspired a very bad poem that rhymes 'slate' with 'late,' and nobody has dared to correct…

Raphoe HouseHouse · 84 yd

Explorer Tom Raphoe House dates to about 1750, but its front was reworked around 1990. Two squat attic windows under the eaves look…

David Wilson & Co SolicitorsHouse · 96 yd

Explorer Tom House in Raphoe Townparks wears a central segmental-headed doorcase that looks like it’s holding its breath. I bet the…

Allied Irish BankHouse · 100 yd

Explorer Tom Allied Irish Bank in Raphoe Townparks is pretending to be a serious financial institution, which is a bit cheeky for a…

Raphoe Masonic LodgeMasonic lodge/hall · 107 yd

Explorer Tom Raphoe Masonic Lodge has a secret command carved right above the door: 'Hear See And Remain Silent'. I bet if you shout…

John Moffat & SonsShop/retail outlet · 124 yd

Explorer Tom John Moffat & Sons shop in Raphoe has a pediment that looks like it’s trying to impress a very boring audience. The…

Second Raphoe Presbyterian ChurchChurch/chapel · 139 yd

Explorer Tom Second Raphoe Presbyterian Church is an 1860 classic with Ionic columns that make it look like a tiny temple. It’s now…

Raphoe Cathedral Carved LintelStone sculpture · 157 yd

Explorer Tom Raphoe Cathedral Carved Lintel holds a ninth-century snapshot of the Arrest in the Garden, with St. Peter slashing an…

Cathedral in Raphoe TownparksCathedral · 168 yd

Explorer Tom Cathedral in Raphoe Townparks hides a 9th-century lintel right under your nose. It depicts St. Peter chopping an ear…

PalaceHouse, fortified house · 259 yd

Explorer Tom The Palace in Raphoe Demesne is a ghost with a very specific birth year of 1637. Bishop Leslie spent a fortune building…

More historic places in County Donegal · All of County Donegal

Add to this placeAdd a picture Add a detailed tip Add a story

Explore the map1,095,414 places to discover