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

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical two-storey, three-bay former Manse, erected c.1858, located on Abbey Street, Coleraine. T-shaped on plan with a full-height gabled return to east and modern mono-pitched, single storey abutments to re-entrant angles. Sited in close proximity to Coleraine First Presbyterian Church (HB03/18/015A), the building has been extensively refurbished in recent years and now functions as a youth centre.

Hipped and re-slated roof; terracotta ridge-tiles and modern sky-lights. Replacement metal ogee rainwater goods to overhanging eaves; some decorative cast-iron brackets remain to square downpipes. Walling is painted ruled-and-lined rendered over projecting base-course; rendered and painted dressings. Window openings generally have projecting cills and moulded architraves (unless otherwise stated). Windows are 2/2 replacement horned timber sashes (unless otherwise stated).

Principal elevation faces west, three openings wide vertically aligned about central doorcase, which
contains a replacement timber and glazed timber door having painted, fluted Ionic columns on either side, supporting a cornice and plain, enlarged frieze, with modern plastic lettering affixed. Single-storey flat-roof canted bay windows to each side embellished with moulded eaves, continous cills and projecting keystones.

North elevation is symmetrical with two windows on each level.

East elevation is largely blank except for plain window opening to upper left. Remaining elevation largely abutted by gabled two-storey return with two plain window openings to upper centre (irregular sizes), over a pair of modern timber casements. Similar sash window over casement to right cheek with small mono-pitched abutment to left with painted timber door. Diminutive casement to upper left cheek, over mono-pitched abutment to re-entrant angle with a pair of modern plain timber doors.

South elevation is asymmetrical with three windows arranged about a canted bay window to left-side of ground floor (matching those of principal elevation); diminutive casement to far right-side of main elevation.

Setting

Located in an urban
setting on the eastern banks of the River Bann, a short distance south of The Diamond, Coleraine. The building forms part of the complex asscociated with Coleraine First Presbyterian Church (HB03/18/015A), which is located in close proximity to the immediate west. The northern elevation directly fronts onto Abbey Street; bitumen car parking areas are to the west and south, with main access via the western forcourt, which also serves the church. The north-west corner is abutted by the dwarf wall and decorative historic cast-iron railings of the church; south-west corner connected to east elevation of the church by a painted and rendered (pebbled dashed rear) screen-wall pierced by a round-arched opening, also abutting to the eastern corner of the church.

Roof: Replacement slate
Walling: Painted ruled-and-lined rendered
Windows: Replacement timber sash
RWG: Replacement metal

Historical information

The manse belonging to the First Presbyterian meeting house, Coleraine, was built in 1858-9 by contractor Samuel Kirkpatrick and is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1904. The manse is valued in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) at £20 and remained in use as the home of ministers of the Abbey Street church until the 1930s with additions or improvements to the building adding £10 to the valuation in 1924. In 1939 the manse was taken over as a free library but was bought back by the congregation in 1960 and converted into a youth centre.

A scheme costing £140,000 was carried out in 1995 as part of which the youth centre was renovated (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
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 plainly detailed, two-storey, three-bay detached former manse, built c.1858 to the designs of Simon Kirpatrick. Located on the south-western side of Abbey Street, Coleraine, the building is situated in close proximity to the associated Coleraine First Presbyterian Church (HB03/18/015A) and now functions as a youth centre for the church. The neatly proportioned building is embellished by the Neo-classical-style treatment of the doorcase and the canted bay windows; which compliment the plain Classical form of the church façade. While the layout and fabric has been substantially altered in recent decades, the external appearance is retained. The building constitutes an important setting feature of the church (HB03/18/015A) and also signifies the historical development of the site, the two buildings sharing group value.

General comments

Record has been renumbered and was previously listed as part of HB03/18/015.