Second Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical, free-standing double-height rendered Presbyterian Meeting House, built c.1832, with a Neo-Renaissance, pedimented façade and round-arched porch added c.1891. Rectangular on plan comprising a central sanctuary with galleries over, along north and south walls, accessed via the breakfront entrance foyer. A complex of two-storey gabled halls and ancillary buildings abut to the east elevation, built c.1964, they are interconnected to the main church but are of little interest.

Hipped, composite slate roof topped by copper ventilation lantern on stone plinth to centre with cupola over; black/brown roll-moulded ridge and hip tiles; uPVC rainwater goods mounted on projecting masonry course; blocking course to west, over heavy moulded and projecting cornice. Advancing gabled façade with stucco detailing commensurate with Neo-Renaissance style, including impost and cill courses, and urn-topped panelled corner pilasters (to first floor only); detailing echoed in porch.
Walling is stuccoed to west; remaining elevations are unpainted cement rendered unless otherwise stated. Window openings are generally round-arched to upper floor and segmental-headed at ground, having projecting stone sills, plain rendered reveals and timber frames with largely leaded-stained glass windows having storm glazing over.

Symmetrical principal elevation faces west and comprises advancing gabled bay to centre. Squared window either-side of central bay, over single-storey parapetted square-based volumes to re-entrant angles, having rounded timber casement in projecting architrave to side elevation and similar blind openings to main elevation. Central bay contains windows with projecting moulded architraves to eitherside of centre; large round-arched window to first floor centre, breaking through eaves course on which architrave is sprung, having large projecting keystone adjoining to pinnacle of apex. Single-storey porch advances over central entrance door, having round-arch openings, entablature with panelled blocking course above, carried on fluted corner pilasters. Round-arched eight-panelled timber door with leaded stained-glass inserts.

North elevation is symmetrical with five windows on each level. North-east corner abutted by single-storey pitched outbuilding with pebble-dashed walls (of no interest).

East elevation has two round-arched windows over flat-roof abutment which links to rear hall accommodation (of no further interest) and a small rendered chimney to left-side.

South elevation is detailed as north except for some areas of pebble-dash to walling; window reveals are unpainted render with similar treatment to sills.

Setting

Located in an urban
setting, on the east side of New Row a short distance from the centre of Coleraine town. The church is set back from the main street-line and bounded to west and south by a rendered wall vertical metal railings, with matching gates, c.1950. Neighbouring office buildings bound the alleyways to the north and south. Associated two-storey ancillary church buildings, c.1964, connected to the church via a small link block, extend east and line Society Street. Main path from gates to entrance, and along south elevation, is modern paving stones, with stone flags or concrete elsewhere. Sandstone steps and flagstones to porch with a modern paved ramp rising from north, plain metal handrails throughout.

Roof: Replacement composite slates
RWG: uPVC
Walling : Painted ruled-and lined rendered & unpainted render
Windows : Timber-framed stained glass & leaded

Historical information

New Row Presbyterian church was built for the second Presbyterian congregation of Coleraine in 1831-2 to designs by Ebenezer and Joseph Hastings. However, its original plan facade was radically altered in 1891 to give an Italianate elevation more in keeping with the increasing status of the town. W J Anderson was the architect.

The second presbyterian congregation of Coleraine dates from 1727 and was established when 90 families withdrew from the first Presbyterian congregation after the minister, Rev Robert Higginbotham published his sympathy with the cause of non-subscribers (History of Congregations; Kirkpatrick). A meeting house was built on a narrow site on the east side of New Row in 1728 and was in use for over a century until the acquisition of an adjoining site to the south made it possible to rebuild the church on a larger scale (Mullin). The foundation stone of the new building, which benefitted from a generous donation of £300 from the Honourable the Irish Society, was laid on 30th May 1831 by Hugh Lyle, the Mayor of Coleraine and an Elder in the congregation, and the completed church was opened in October 1832 (Belfast Newsletter; Mullin). Church records suggest that the architects were brothers Ebenezer and Joseph Hastings, the latter a civil engineer and ‘surveyor of public works’ in Belfast (Mullin; www.dia.ie). OS Memoirs record that the building cost £1,600, was ‘well built’ with a cut freestone façade and measured 69 feet by 50 feet, but was hemmed in by houses on each side.

The first edition OS map of 1830 shows the previous meeting house on the site while the second edition (1849-50) shows the present building together with a sessions room built c1835 to the rear of the pulpit. Dimensions for the meeting house and the sessions house are given in the Townland Valuation of (1828-40) which values the pair at £29.0s.5d. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the meeting house at £80. Gas lighting was installed in 1848 and in 1863 a schoolhouse, minister’s room and committee room were built behind the church (Mullin).

In around 1872 alterations were made to designs by Young & Mackenzie, including the excavating and building of a boiler house underneath the sessions room and in 1875 further work took place including the enlarging of the gallery by the removal of the rear wall, and new stained glass windows which were fitted each side of the pulpit (replaced 1930). The architect for the later alterations was J H Coyle and the contractor Joseph Esdale (Mullin).

In 1891 William J Anderson designed a new façade which was executed by John Maxwell and William Callaghan, builders, and gave a classical gravitas to what was originally a simple hall church (Girvan). Valuer’s notes of the 1930s state that the church could accommodate about 730. At this period the church was lit by gas and heated by hot water pipes. An accompanying plan shows the church with vestry to the rear, halls behind and lavatories at the far eastern end. An organ was installed in c1911 in line with an increasing acceptance of church music among Presbyterian congregations (Mullin). The church was renovated in 1930 at a cost of almost £2,000 including the replacement of the ceiling and of the gallery windows and the leaded lights either side of the pulpit. The organ was moved from the front of the pulpit to the left hand side. The architect was J Sheriff Kennedy and the contractor W Currie. A new electronic organ was installed in 1939 but this proved unsatisfactory and a pipe organ was purchased from Messrs Jardine & Co of Manchester in 1953, installation of which entailed alterations to the front of the church (Mullin).

In 1959 the official name of the congregation was changed to New Row, although it had been known locally by this name for some years, and the old Sunday school/hall to the rear of the church was replaced by a new building, to designs by Joseph Kennedy, in 1964 (History of Congregations). The church was re-roofed in 1975 and in 1977 the building was listed. (Mullin; HB file) Renovations have taken place over the years since listing including restoration of the windows following bomb damage in 1992 and refurbishment of the church halls in 2012 (HB file). Single-storey extensions were added to either side of the front elevation in 2007 providing a disabled WC and a store (HB file). Membership today totals just over 500 families (Kirkpatrick).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/7/1 First Edition OS Map 1830
2. PRONI OS/6/5/7/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-50
3. PRONI OS/6/5/7/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/7/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1923
5. PRONI OS/6/5/7/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1949
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/542A-D Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/3/D Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9A-N Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/4 First General Revaluation 1933-57
10. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/2/A/46 First General Revaluation 1933-57
11. Belfast Newsletter 14th June 1831
12. HB file – 03/18/012

Secondary Sources

1. “A History of Congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1610-1982” authorised by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, 1982 (available at www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com)
2. Girvan, W D “Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in Coleraine and Portstewart” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1971-2
3. Kirkpatrick, L “Presbyterians in Ireland” Booklink, 2006
4. Mullin, Rev T H “The history of new row Presbyterian church, Coleraine 1727-1977” W & G Baird, 1976

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A relatively grand and ornate example of a Presbyterian Meeting House, built c.1832, with the main elevation having been significantly embellished c.1891, through the addition of the pediment, round-arched porch and classical detailing. The church is characterised by large-scale, yet balanced proportions coupled with a restrained application of decorative devices. The advantageous site, set back from the main street-line enables greater visual appreciation from the south and west. It is a significant visual focal point of the historic fabric of Coleraine. It also has social importance for the local community.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; S - Authenticity and T - Historic Importance also apply.