Milltown House Explained

Milltown House
Address:Townsend Street, Strabane, County Tyrone
Location City:Strabane
Location Country:Northern Ireland
Map Type:Ireland
Map Dot Label:Milltown House
Coordinates:54.8145°N -7.4543°W
Completion Date:1836
Architect:William Vitruvius Morrison
Architectural Style:Neoclassical style
Client:Major John Humphreys
Owner:Education Authority

Milltown House is a historic building in Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

The two-storey gabled cottage-style house and gate lodge was constructed in c. 1836 for Major John Humphreys (father of Cecil Frances Alexander), agent to the 2nd Marquess of Abercorn (later created, in 1868, the 1st Duke of Abercorn), and was designed by William Vitruvius Morrison.[1] At the age of fifteen, Irish hymn-writer and poet, Cecil Frances Alexander,[2] moved into Milltown House, with her family. While living there she wrote and had published a number of books, verses and hymns.[3] [4] [5] [6]

The building was the former site of Strabane Grammar School, and during the transition to Strabane Academy at their new building on the High School site, functioned as the Sixth Form College. It has been vacant since January 2020. In July that year it was subject to an arson attack and suffered substantial damage.

Preservation campaign

In 2022 the Education Authority resolved to sell the site, including Milltown House.[7] [8] A public campaign[9] is building to preserve the building and repurpose the site for community use.[10] The Derry City and Strabane District Council has resolved to request the Authority preserve the historic building and examine the possibility of transferring it as a community assest.[11] [12]

Notes and References

  1. A. M. Rowan, ed., The Architecture of Richard Morrison and William Vitruvius Morrison (IAA, 1989), 123
  2. Web site: Hymn society of Great Britain and Ireland . www.hymnsocietygbi.org.uk.
  3. Web site: Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-95) . ricorso.net . 5 November 2023.
  4. Book: Cox . Michael . Overlooking the River Mourne: Four Centuries of Family Farms in Edymore and Cavanalee in County Tyrone . 2006 . Ulster Historical Foundation . 978-1-903688-44-1 . 32 . 4 March 2021 . en.
  5. Book: Winn . Christopher . I Never Knew That About Ireland . 31 March 2012 . Random House . 978-1-4481-4607-9 . 286 . 4 March 2021 . en.
  6. an English rendering of the ancient Gaelic hymn...Alexander did not read Gaelic but worked from several literal and unmusical English translations sent to her by H.H. Dickinson, dean of the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle. Encyclopedia: Jones . Gloria G. . Thesing . William B. . Cecil Frances Alexander . Dictionary of Literary Biography . 199 . 8–12 . Gale Research . Farmington Hills, MI . 1999 . 0787618543 . registration .
  7. News: Potential offered by former school site cannot be a 'missed opportunity' - MLA. Strabane Weekly News. 22 December 2021. 7 November 2023.
  8. News: EA to ‘dispose of’ former Strabane school site. Strabane Weekly News. Ciara. Maguire. 3 November 2022. 7 November 2023.
  9. News: Walker . Gail . Strabane's future could be bright and beautiful if locals win fight to save historic home . 4 November 2023 . Belfast Telegraph . Belfast Telegraph . Oct 14, 2023.
  10. News: McLaughlin . Dean . Cecil Frances Alexander: Rugby club interested in hymn writer's home . 4 November 2023 . BBC . 12 October 2023.
  11. News: Derry & Strabane Council backs preserving home of All Things Bright and Beautiful and Once in Royal David’s City hymn writer Cecil Frances Alexander. Derry Journal. Gillian. Anderson. 2 March 2021. 7 November 2023.
  12. News: Council call to preserve Northern Ireland hymn writer's home. Belfast Telegraph. 1 March 2021. 7 November 2023.

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