First Presbyterian Church, 43 Abbey Street, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52 1EX

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A double-height symmetrical single-celled Presbyterian Meeting House, built c.1827 and located in Coleraine town. Hall-type-church-with-gallery, rectangular on plan and having a pedimented Doric tetrastyle portico projecting from the main elevation, c.1833. The former manse building, c.1858 is located directly to the east and the church is abutted to west and south-west by modern ancillary accommodation associated with the church. Both the church and former manse have been extensively refurbished in recent years.

Hipped slate roof behind capped blocking course on north elevation; grey/black angled ridge-tiles; replacement metal ogee rainwater goods to overhanging eaves, mounted on plain timber boxed eaves, with decorative hoppers. Walling is painted ruled-and-lined-rendered to principal façade, on a painted projecting base-course, similar strip quoins; remaining elevations are pebble-dashed on a cement rendered base. Round-headed window openings to first floor, segmental-headed at ground floor; rendered and painted reveals and slim projecting sills, moulded architraves with projecting keystones (unless otherwise stated). Windows are generally modern leaded-and-stained-glass in painted masonry or concrete frames, with storm glazing attached.

Principal elevation faces north and comprises windows either side of central breakfront bay which has a window over single-storey tetrastyle, Doric portico with triangular pediment. Large round-headed doorway to centre, with moulded architrave and projecting keystone, which encases a deeply recessed double-leaf modern timber and glazed doors to centre, with recent stained-glass fanlight over and plain-glass round-arched, full-height timber-framed windows to each side (newly inserted).

East elevation is seven openings wide, having windows on each floor (except far-left first floor); windows have plain cemented reveals and concrete sills; stained timber frame to far-left window. Chamfered cut-away to middle portion of left corner.

South elevation contains three squared uPVC windows across upper floor and modern timber and glazed door to right-side; remaining elevation abutted by single-storey link-block, connecting main church to halls and ancillary rooms. Two (now internal) plain timber doors to centre and left-side, connect church to link block.

West elevation is similar to east elevation but is six openings wide at first floor (with far-right window infilled to lower half) and four-openings wide at ground floor. Right-side is abutted by single-storey pitched extension and three remaining openings at ground floor are now internal and comprise a modern timber double-leaf door with windows on each side (that to far-right dates from early 20th century); walling is replacement timber panelling.

Setting

Located in an urban
setting on the eastern banks of the River Bann, a short distance south of The Diamond, Coleraine. The complex of buildings is free-standing, with tarmac car parking on all sides, surrounded by a variety of neighbouring buildings including houses, offices and shops. Access is via the south-west side of Abbey Street, lined with a dwarf rendered and painted wall, topped by decorative cast-iron railings and punctuated by matching gates supported on slender squared-and-capped cast-iron piers (all c.1854); painted and capped masonry piers to north vehicle entrance having modern metal gates attached.

Connecting complex of ancillary accommodation abutting to south and west elevations of church is mid-late 20th century, having pebble-dashed or rendered walls, slated pitched roofs, generally uPVC windows and plain timber and glazed doors (of no further interest). Former Manse (HB03/18/015B) is located a short distance to the north-east and is connected to east elevation of the church, by a painted and rendered (pebbled dashed rear) screen-wall pierced by a round-arched opening.

Roof: Slate
Walling: Rendered
Windows: Replacement leaded & stained glass
RWG: Replacement metal

Historical information

The first Presbyterian church in Abbey Street, Coleraine, dates from 1827-9 and was designed as a simple rectangular hall by Patrick Nugent, a little-known architect practicing from offices in Strabane (www.dia.ie). The design was formalised by the addition of an ‘excellently detailed’ neo-classical portico in 1833 (Girvan). The church is shown on the first edition OS map of 1830 and had acquired a rear extension as well as the portico to the main façade by the time of the second edition in 1849-50. An attached lecture hall is shown to the rear of the building on the third edition of 1904. Dimensions are given in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) and the meeting house is valued at £27.18s.8d. Dimensions are given for an extended church in Griffith’s Valuation of 1856-64 where the building is valued at £80.

The first Presbyterian congregation in Coleraine dates from 1643 and was established by Scottish chaplains and soldiers who were quartered in the town having come to Ireland to quell the 1641 rebellion. The earliest known church in Coleraine was at the junction of Cross Lane and Abbey Street, giving its name to Meetinghouse Street, later Abbey Street. When the Irish Society surveyed Coleraine in 1825 they decided to demolish the building, which projected into the road, and grant a new site in Dirty Lane (subsequently Meeting House Place), formerly an orchard. The materials of the old church were used to construct a new building to designs by Patrick Nugent (Mullin). The meeting house was begun in 1827, when the foundation stone was laid by John Beresford, and completed in 1829 at a cost of £1,900, £200 of which was subscribed by the Irish Society. An ornamental freestone Doric portico was erected in 1833 at a cost of £100, the Irish Society subscribing half the amount (OS Memoirs). OS Memoirs pronounced the meeting house, which accommodated 800 worshippers, ‘well built and…situated in a well-arranged courtyard screened from the street by a low wall and iron rail’. This was later replaced, in 1854, by ‘good cast-iron gates and railings by McCullagh & Co of Glasgow’ (Girvan).

A lecture hall was added to the rear of the church building in the second half of the nineteenth century and was renamed the McCaldin hall in 1961 in memory of the minister who built the present church. Internal renovations took place in 1880 under the supervision of the town surveyor W J Given. An organ was installed in 1906 in line with an increasing acceptance of music by Presbyterian congregations (The Chronicle). Valuer’s notes of the 1930s give a plan of the building with attached lecture hall to the rear and external outbuildings and WCs. At this period the former manse was in use as a free library.

In 1960 the Legate hall, also named after a previous minister, was built and the former manse adjacent to the church, dating from 1858-9 and built by contractor Samuel Kirkpatrick, was bought back by the congregation and came into use as a youth centre. According to Girvan, the church was ‘insensitively’ modernised in 1966 including the ‘extension of the blocking course well beyond an acceptable limit’ (Girvan). The building was listed in 1977 and in 1987 a £75,000 scheme of renovation was undertaken at the church to designs by W Hunter which included the provision of a ‘Fellowship Lounge’ between the main church building and the Legate Hall, the renovation of the halls, choir room, minister’s room and toilets and the restoration of the front of the church. In 1995 a further scheme costing £140,000 was carried out in which the Halls, Fellowship Lounge, Youth Centre and the Church itself were renovated (The Chronicle).

Dramatic alterations to the church interior took place in 2005-6 when a £860,000 renovation project was undertaken. Major structural repairs took place, the gallery was altered and extended, a new ceiling, a larger vestibule and new pews were installed. Improvements were also carried out to the halls and fellowship lounge and the church organ was restored to its original design. The architects for the renovation were R Robinson & Sons of Ballymoney, while the building contractors were S M Oliver and Son (The Chronicle).

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/B 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. HB file – 03/18/015
12. The Chronicle 21st November 1987
13. The Chronicle 28th November 1987
14. The Chronicle 11th February 1995

Secondary Sources

1. Day, A., P. McWilliams, English L., eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Londonderry XII, 1829-30, 1832, 1834-6, Vol. 33.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1995.
2. Girvan, W D “Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in Coleraine and Portstewart” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1971-2
3. Mullin, Rev T H “Coleraine in by-gone centuries” Belfast: Century Services Ltd, 1976
4. Mullin, Rev T H “Coleraine in Georgian Times” Belfast: Century Services Ltd, 1977

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A plain, rendered Neo-classical double-height single-celled Presbyterian Meeting House, built c.1827. The simple rectangular form is enlivened by an imposing Doric tetrastyle portico with triangular pediment, which projects above the main entrance. A mid 19th century former manse (HB03/18/015B) by Simon Kirpartrick is located to the immediate south, finished in similar style to the church and having canted bays and a loose interpretation of an unpedimented Ionic doorcase. A number of modern ancillary buildings abut to the south-west of the church, which in conjunction with the extensive car park, serves to somewhat compromise the historic setting. The character is further eroded by a series of interior refurbishments. Despite these factors the church remains a significant example of early 19th century Presbyterian Meeting House design, enriching the historic architectural fabric of Coleraine town. Further value is contributed by the associated former manse and the church continues to act as an important social centre for the local community.

General comments

The record has been renumbered and was originally part of HB03/18/015.