Survey Data
Reg No
11816064
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
House
In Use As
House
Date
1767 - 1807
Coordinates
262970, 210145
Date Recorded
29/05/2002
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached three-bay two-storey double-pile house, extant 1807, on a rectangular plan. Hipped double-pile (M-profile) slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks having concrete capping supporting terracotta pots, and cast-iron rainwater goods on cut-limestone eaves with cast-iron octagonal hoppers and downpipes. Roughcast walls on rendered chamfered plinth. Square-headed central door opening with cut-limestone step threshold, cut-limestone doorcase with monolithic pilasters on plinths supporting ogee-detailed cornice on fluted scroll consoles framing timber panelled door having overlight. Round-headed central window opening (first floor) with cut-limestone sill, and concealed dressings framing fanlit six-over-six timber sash window without horns. Square-headed window openings originally in tripartite arrangement with cut-limestone sills, and concealed dressings framing replacement uPVC casement windows replacing six-over-six timber sash windows without horns having two-over-two sidelights. Set back from line of street with crocketed cast-iron open work piers to perimeter supporting crocketed cast-iron gate.
Appraisal
A house representing an important component of the domestic built heritage of Monasterevin with the architectural value of the composition confirmed by such attributes as the compact rectilinear plan form centred on a Classically-detailed doorcase demonstrating good quality workmanship in an overpainted silver-grey limestone; and the slight diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a feint graduated visual impression with those openings originally showing Wyatt-style tripartite glazing patterns. NOTE: Freughmore House occupies a site on the new line of road laid out (1767) by Charles Moore (1730-1822), sixth Earl of Drogheda, and is labelled as H.H. Bourne Esqrs. holdg. and Mail Coach holdg. on "A SURVEY OF THE Town of Monasterevin" (1807) by John Longford (c.1775-1833) [NLI MS 21 F.36/(083); NLI MS 21 F.36/(110)]. Henry Hawker Bourne (c.1740-1819) of Springmount, County Laois, had several mail coach interests and, in addition to properties in Borris-on-Ossory and Monasterevin, 'acquired by conveyance, 27 January 1808, from Robert Shaw of Dublin, the premises in Dublin City known as the Royal Hibernian Hotel, Mail Coach Offices and yards' (Strange 1970, 171).