Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively simple, two storey, hipped roof Non-subscribing Presbyterian church of 1762, plain rendered with small gabled side porch and arch headed sash windows. The building is set within its own small graveyard on the N side of the Straidkilly Road to the NE of the centre of the village.

To the centre of the W elevation is a small single storey gabled porch. To the N face is a, modern, timber sheeted entrance door which is set within a square headed door opening with decorative mouldings and keystone. To the W face is a semicircular arch headed 8/6 sash window with margin panes. This face is gabled and the plain bargeboard overhangs slightly. The N face is blank. To the left and right of the porch (on the main elevation) is a 6/6 segmental arch headed sash window with margins. The windows each have decorative mouldings with keystones. To the first floor there are two evenly spaced windows, all as before.

The S elevation has a shallow projecting full height gabled bay to the centre. The bay is topped with a parapet with a chimneypot-like finial with ball pinnacle. To the centre of the bay is a tall fixed light window with margins. To the centre of the gable is a decorative inscription plaque. This is framed with pilasters which rest on ‘vermiculated consul brackets’. The pilasters support a plain frieze which in turn is surmounted with a split pediment. The inscription reads: ‘This House was Built in the Year of Our Lord 1762. The Enclosed Ground on Which it Stands With 30 Guineas Was the Bountiful Donation of The Rt Honourable Alexander Earl of Antrim to the Dissenters of Glenarm’ To the left and right of the tall window (on the ground floor of the bay) is a sash window with margins set in segmental arch headed openings with moulded dressings and key stones. The gable has plain cope stones and there is a small squat circular feature to the apex. To the left and right of the first floor are windows, all as before. To the left and to the right of the projecting bay (on both floors) is a window, as before, one each to the ground and first floors.

To the centre of the E elevation is a timber sheeted double leaf door with segmental arch headed fanlight. The fanlight is boarded over and the opening is dressed with mouldings and keystone, all as before. To the left and to the right of the doorway is a window, as before, with two more to the first floor. This elevation is abutted at the very right hand edge by a two storey gabled house- built [c.1880-1900] as the manse, but now a private residence.

To the centre of the N elevation is a slightly projecting bay, (as S elevation), with two evenly spaced windows to the ground and first floors, all as before. To the left and right of the bay are windows to the ground and first floor, all as before.

The roofs are covered with natural slate and rw goods are cast iron. The building is surrounded by a small graveyard.

Historical information

The Presbyterian congregation of Glenarm is one of the oldest in Ireland, founded in the 1620s. It grew rapidly during the mid to later 17th century due to the 1st and 2nd Earls of Antrims’ policy of settling Scots within the Glenarm area and the conversion of many native tenants.

The present church was built in 1762, at a time when Alexander, Earl of Antrim, was making significant changes to Glenarm Castle and the village itself. Alexander actually gave the congregation the plot of land on which the church stands for free, and contributed thirty guineas towards the building of the church itself.

Like many other congregations within Co Antrim, that of Glenarm had veered towards the more liberal ‘New Light’ (or ‘Unitarian) doctrines popularised by many Irish and Scottish ministers from the early 18th century onwards. Thus, when Irish Presbyterian formally split in c.1829, the more numerous Unitarian members of the congregation were able to retain the church building, forcing the orthodox (‘subscribing’) minority to worship elsewhere (they finally built a new church in Altmore Street in 1835-6).

Physically church itself originally consisted of the main rectangular block, the side porch being added probably in the late 1800s [c.1875-1880]. The window openings with their mouldings, segmental heads and margined sash frames may have assumed this form around this time also, and the manse abutting the east side of the building, (now a private dwelling), may also date from this period.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.2977/36/3/1A Antrim Papers Map, showing the Town of Glenarm, plus Glenarm Castle and demesne, by John O'Hara, 1779
2 Ulster Museum A view of Glenarm Castle (painting dating from some time between 1768 and 1812) [This painting also shows the town itself.]
3 View of Glenarm c.1769-c.1812 (painting in possession of Lord Dunluce)
4 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland…’ vol.13 [c.1830-35] ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1992), p.127
5 PRONI OS/6/1/29/1 OS map, Co Antrim sh 29, 1832-33
6 PRONI VAL/1B/149 First valuation, Tickmacrevan parish,
7 Samuel Lewis, ‘A topographical dictionary of Ireland’ vol.1 (London 1837), p.658
8 William Makepeace Thackery, ‘Irish sketchbook’ (1843), p.238
9 Mrs and Mrs S.C. Hall, ‘Ireland: Its scenery, character etc., vol.III (London 1843), p.130
10 PRONI VAL/2D/1/11 Valuation town plan of Glenarm, 1859 [with later annotations- ?c.1900]
11 PRONI VAL/2B/1/41B Second valuation [notebook], village of Glenarm, 1859
12 PRONI OS/8/103/1 OS town plan of Glenarm, 1903
13 PRONI VAL/12E/31/1 Valuation town plan of Glenarm, 1907-[1935]
14 PRONI VAL/3G/20/1 Valuation town plan of Glenarm. 1936-57

Secondary sources
1 C.E.B. Brett, ‘Historic buildings…Glens of Antrim’ (Belfast 1971), p.14
2 Eileen Black, “A view of Glenarm Castle” in ‘The Glynns- Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society’ vol.7 (1979), pp.29-30
3 Jimmie Irvine, “A map of Glenarm- 1779” in ‘The Glynns- Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society’ vol.9 (1981), pp.52-61
4 Hon. Hector McDonnell, “The building of the parish church at Glenarm” in ‘The Glynns- Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society’ vol.10 (1982), pp.31-36
5 Felix McKillop, ‘Glenarm- A local history’ (Glenarm 1987), pp.42-3

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
E. Spatial Organisation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Relatively simple, two storey, hipped roof Non-subscribing Presbyterian church of 1762, plain rendered with small gabled side porch and arch headed sash windows. The porch is a later addition, dating from perhaps c.1875-80; the present shape of the windows, with their segmental arch heads, may date to this time also. Abutting the church to the east side is a two storey manse (now a private dwelling), also perhaps c.1875-80.