The Courthouse was built by the MacNaghten family of Dundarave Estate. It became the Petty Sessions court where disputes about pay or arguments between neighbours were resolved. The famine began in 1845. The effect on Bushmills is clear through the rising petty sessions entries for stealing simple foods like potatoes.

In 1935 the Ministry for Home Affairs decided to reduce the number of petty sessions courts in Ulster. The Courthouse was eventually closed in 1938 when it became a private residence. The last person to live here left in the 1960s.

The Courthouse was home to a number of different businesses, many of which were remembered at our outreach events, including a bookshop, shoe shop, a travelling dentist, a dressmaker, a Sunday school and even storage for Christmas trees. It has been vacant since 1972. In 1977, The Courthouse was granted a Grade B1 listing. In 2004, The Courthouse was placed on the ‘at risk register’ - meaning it was in danger of being lost forever.

During conversations between the team at Enterprise Causeway and local people at a Christmas pop up craft shop in 2015, the idea for a shared community space started to take shape. The Designerie was soon established, proving that social enterprise would work in Bushmills. In 2016, Enterprise Causeway purchased the old Courthouse, securing the European Union’s PEACE IV funding of €7.8m, (managed by the Special EU Programmes Body), that would allow us to bring to life The Courthouse Shared Space Creative Hub and deliver an extensive community outreach programme. Over 3000 local people were consulted over the next four years. Planning was approved in 2022 and construction commenced the same year. Match-funding has been provided by the Department for Communities, Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development, Ireland.