Survey Data
Reg No
40833022
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural
Original Use
House
Historical Use
Bank/financial institution
Date
1860 - 1870
Coordinates
225779, 402881
Date Recorded
11/10/2010
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Semi-detached, three-bay, three-storey house, built 1864, now a bank, with mirror-image house attached to south end. Pitched, gable-ended slate roof having cement-rendered chimney to party wall to south, with projecting, lined timber eaves with paired painted mutules to underside, and stucco string course to wall immediately below. Cast iron rainwater goods. Painted ruled and lined cement rendered walls with rusticated stucco bands to corners and plain projecting rendered window and door surrounds. Date stone to centre of two buildings, at first floor level, states, “ERECTED BY DAVID WILSON, DRUMANENEY, 1864”. First and second floors each have three segmental-headed two-over-two timber sliding sash windows. Ground floor has two adjacent semicircular-headed one-over-one timber sliding sash windows, a wide, segmental-headed shop window adjacent to party wall, and a central square-headed door, with glazed side panels and segmental-headed plain-glazed fanlight over. Painted cast iron railings on painted stone plinth, with cast iron gateposts to entrance. Modern, painted steel hollow section handrail to modern concrete entrance ramp and two steps. Street front access to rear via laneway to side. Building is set back from the public footpath on The Diamond.
Appraisal
This imposing and well-proportioned semi-detached building, originally dating to the second half of the nineteenth century, retains its original form and character despite some minor modern alterations. It is currently out of use after being formerly a bank until recent years (2013). It forms part of a pair of identical buildings to the south-east corner of the Diamond to the centre of Raphoe that have a strong presence in the streetscape. The visual appeal and integrity of this building is enhanced by the retention of salient fabric such as timber sliding sash windows while the wide doorway with console brackets, sidelights and overlight, and moulded lintel provides a central focus. A cut stone plaque to the north party wall records that this building and its neighbour to the north (see 40833021) were originally built by David Wilson of nearby Drumineney House (see 40907019) in 1864. The Wilson family were an important and wealthy local family of farmers and professionals (mainly legal, David Wilson was a solicitor) during the nineteenth century and were responsible for a number of buildings around the Raphoe area. It is likely that the ground floor of this building was originally in use as office with accommodation over. This building forms an integral element of an interesting collection of eighteenth and nineteenth-century houses surrounding the Plantation-era Diamond at Raphoe, and is element of the built heritage of the town. The buildings of the Diamond are of greater significance together than on their own, resulting from their collective townscape character. The good-quality gates and railings add to the setting and complete the context.