Congregational Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A freestanding, double-height-with-basement single-celled hall-and-tower-type Gothic-style stone church, built c.1862. Rectangular on plan with an L-shaped return to the east and two porches at the western corners; that of the north-side rising to a steeply-pitched saddlebacked tower. Basement below matching plan of church above.

Pitched slate roof with black/grey angled ridge-tiles; flat stone coping to gable-heads; stone finial removed from eastern apex. Half-round uPVC rainwater goods to overhanging eaves, mounted on plain timber fascia. Walling is roughly hewn squared-and-coursed blackstone (roughly coursed rubble to west gable), with sandstone dressings; strip quoins and projecting sill course wrapped around all except east elevation. Buttressing generally rising to pointed-heads, that to western corners extending beyond eaves and terminating in pyramidal pinnacles. Nave lighted on each side by twin-light pointed-arch leaded-and-stained-glass windows with cusped heads encased within flush, chamfered sandstone architraves and splayed sills (unless otherwise stated). Pointed-arched doorways in rebated sandstone architraves with continuous hood mould rising from string course on west elevation. Doors are generally timber sheeted and braced with pointed heads and ornate iron hinges. Square-plan three-stage tower rises from north-west porch; gabled with steeply pitched saddleback roof; lower stages contain single narrow plain-glass windows, one square-headed and one lancet to north and east respectively. Blind loops and trefoil to middle stage; studded timber sheeting to lancets in east and west gable-heads, having moulded labels over.

Principal elevation faces west and contains large five-light window to centre with cusped perpendicular tracery; similar twin-light windows to each side. Lower level lighted by matching rhythm of plain cusped-headed windows in squared surrounds. Porches to each side of main elevation, accessed via stone steps, with double-leaf doors to centre. Right is gabled to south with central lancet windows and squared timber sheeted door to east in plain surrounds; left has a mono-pitched roof abutting to main tower.

North elevation has four windows separated by buttresses with pointed heads; far right abutted by tower.

East elevation is blank except for high-level circular window to centre in flush sandstone surrounds, containing a timber framed star of David. Lower right-side is abutted by single-storey-with-basement mono-pitched L-shaped return, constructed in stone and dating from the later half of the 19th century. Windows are modern timber casements in square-headed surrounds with sandstone lintels and sills. East elevation forms part of boundary wall and has single diminutive window; large windows to west and south elevations; timber sheeted doors to south, with modern replacement below at basement. Both doors accessed via brick steps which have been concreted in recent decades.

South elevation is detailed as north (without tower abutting).

Setting

Located within a rectangular plot in an urban
setting to the south-east of The Diamond, Coleraine. The principal façade addresses New Row and is accessed via two sets of stone steps leading to the north and south porches. Steps are flanked by stone walls, with saddleback coping and gablet caps, which support cast-iron gates and matching railings. Pebble-dash wall and walkway to north, terraces beyond yard to south, which is currently being remodelled to provide universal access via the southern porch and also contains detached electrical substation. East bounded by rubblestone wall with replacement timber sheeted door to north-east yard and steel door to south yard. Remodelled brick steps give access from enclosed north-east yard to rear return and basement below.

Roof: Slate
Walling: Coursed and squared rock-faced blackstone
Windows: Leaded-and-stained glass
RWG: Upvc

Historical information

The Coleraine Congregational Church was built in 1860-2 in the wake of the Ulster revival to designs by Robert Moffat Smith of Manchester and is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1904. The contractors were Maxwell & Gailey of Derry (Girvan). The building is first listed in valuation records in 1862 at £70.

Congregationalists or Independents first emerged in the early seventeenth century and were initially heavily persecuted for their belief in liberty of conscience and the independence of each congregation. By the 1640s Congregationalists had appeared in Ireland, Cromwell describing himself as ‘both Puritan and Independent’ and bringing many like-minded soldiers with him, but remained a minor dissenting sect until the Ulster revival and its aftermath. The congregational community in Coleraine was established in 1836 by Rev Dr Jephson Potter who had been working with the Irish Evangelical Society in Cushendun but wanted to find a more central base for his evangelistic outreach. A small congregation began to worship in a room in Long Commons and by 1841 was able to erect a permanent church on a site opposite the present building. Coleraine was strongly impacted by the Ulster revival in 1859 and at the congregational church, membership more than doubled. The old meeting house could seat 200 but plans were put in hand to build the present church at a cost of £2,000 in order to accommodate 340. The foundation stone was laid on 27th November 1860 and the official opening took place 18 months later on 22nd May 1862. Subscriptions were raised from members and the Irish Society made a substantial donation of £200 (Campbell). Eight stone corbels in the interior are ‘beautifully bedecked with floral carving in imitation of vine, ivy, oak and watercress, carved by P Doherty of Derry’ (Girvan). Valuer’s notes of the 1930s give a plan of the building which was built with Sunday school rooms and a heating chamber underneath the church itself.

In 1951 a new pipe organ was installed by the company Evans and Barr and the same year a new pulpit was placed in front of the organ pipes (still present). The building was listed in 1977. In 1980 the organ was refurbished by the Irish Organ Company and in the late 1980s the church itself was renovated. The church organ was refurbished once again in 2008 (Campbell).

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/12/B/30/9A-N Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/4 First General Revaluation 1933-57
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/2/A/46 First General Revaluation 1933-57
9. HB file – 03/18/014

Secondary Sources

1. Girvan, W D “Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in Coleraine and Portstewart” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1971-2
2. Campbell, P “Independent but never alone. A History of Colearine Congregational Church, 175 years 1836-2011”

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A mid 19th century Gothic Revival style stone church comprising a central double-height hall, with basement and side entrance porches, built c.1862 to the designs of Robert Moffat Smith. Characterised by restrained use of Gothic devices the building is dominated by a square-plan tower with saddleback roof and by the large five-light window to the west, which contains cusped heads and relatively elaborate tracery. Architectural detailing remains largely intact and the building constitutes an important historical and architectural element within Coleraine. It has social interest for the local community.

General comments

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