A recently restored cottage on the Waring estate in Waringstown was the target of vandals over the weekend.
Police are currently investigating the incident, which occurred a short time before midnight on Saturday.
The petty act of vandalism has undone months of hard work by the village residents in bringing it back to life, having lost the structure to the overgrowth.
Councillor Mark Baxter said he was contacted by residents of the adjacent Terrace View to come and see the damage caused by vandals.
“This is a well know focal point and very visible in the village but over recent years was becoming overgrown and a bit of an eyesore,” the DUP representative said.
“Locals, with help of the recently formed Waringstown Men’s Shed, gave it a total refurbishment, much to the pleasure of village residents.
“So I was disgusted to hear of the vandalism and wanted to raise awareness in the hope that those responsible are caught, I’d appeal to anyone who has any information to get in touch with police on 101 or contact me in confidence.”
Village resident Rodney Adamson said he was disgusted by the incident.
“The little cottage is a replica of the home of Olive Dixon. She lived in her home in the late 17th century and her descendants were the very first workers in the linen industry in the area. Thomas Ferguson from Banbridge was a descendant from Mrs Dixon.
“The replica home had disappeared with the undergrowth in recent years. The residents of Terrace View were given permission by the Waring Estate to clean it up and restore it to its original condition.
“Different people from the community along with willing volunteers from the Mens’ Shed set to the task to rebuild and transform the village attraction.
“Many people passing by have commented how the house looked and how it was progressing. Different people have stopped and made very positive comments regarding the delightful reconstruction.
“On Saturday night, shortly after 11.15pm, two young men dressed in hoodies decided to go into the house and undo a lot of the hard work which had already been carried out, by breaking the windows of the cottage.
“Different neighbours heard the commotion, one of which phoned the police to report the incident. The police are currently investigating.
“So many people have given of their time and it is pitiful that only two would seek to go against all the wishes of so many people of our village.
“There is still much work to be done, so would it be too much to ask those, who want to be noticed for wrong reasons, if they would like to come along. Would they be willing to get a job to enhance our village for the right reasons?
“There is much work still to be done to bring the cottage to the desired state. We would appeal to the local community to stay vigilant and report anything suspicious they see at the cottage. There have been reports of an increase in antisocial behaviour in the area and this is just another occurrence.”
A police spokesperson told Armagh I: “It was reported that, around 11pm, banging noises were heard and two windows in the property were found to be damaged.
“Two young males, believed to be approximately 16-years-old were seen in the area around the same time, one walking in the direction of Lurgan and the other in the direction of Banbridge.
“The male walking in the direction of Banbridge was described as wearing grey tracksuit bottoms, a grey hooded top and a dark coat.
“Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with any information, including dashcam or other video footage, is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference 2213 of 15/4/23.”
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