Scaffolding has been erected at one of Lurgan’s most recognisable buildings.
The High Street property – built in the late 1700s – had been destroyed in a ferocious blaze in September 2017
In July 2022, Armagh I reported that the two-storey structure which is one of the oldest in the Co Armagh town was set to be fully restored.
Now it seems that the eyesore and derelict property is set to be revived with scaffolding appearing at the front of the extensive landmark property.
The building at number 45 High Street originally formed part of a farmhouse built in the late 1700s and alongside number 47 High Street, had been a single unit until, in the 1850s, they were subdivided into two. Number 45 – along with outbuildings to the rear – had been used in their day by businesses associated with a thriving linen industry.
The vacant property had fallen into a state of dereliction and a sad end for what was – and perhaps still is – one of the most recognisable buildings in Lurgan.
Following a blaze which engulfed the building in flames in September 2017, the building was extensively damaged leaving only the outer shell.
An application was submitted to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in 2022 to bring the building back into productive use – bearing the name of the 1950s owner – Johnston Pedlow Ltd referred to the “conservation, reinstatement and alteration” of a “fire damaged building”.
The extensive redevelopment which will represent a significant investment in the Co Armagh town is understood to be in excess of £500,000.
