First Presbyterian Church,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a detached early 19th century Presbyterian Church consisting of a long and rectangular nave with a single-storey minister's room to the rear (East). The front elevations are three bays in width, and the side elevations are five bays. The walling to the front elevation is squared stone rubble in regular courses with dresed stone to the openings and other details. The Church is set on the East side of Hillhead Road to the South of the commercial area of Parkers Farm. The front gable is of cut-stone, while the side walls are harled.

The cut-stone front (West) elevation is gable ended and faces onto Hillhead Road. It has a long lancet pointed-arched window to the left, a pointed-arched doorway to the centre, and a long lancet pointed-arched window to the right. There is a large double pointed-arched lancet window with 'Y' tracery above the doorway to the centre. Windows have carved stone drip mouldings with cut-stone label stops. Protective external uPVC window frames have been added to the windows on the front facade.
The door is pointed arched with a drip moulding as previous. The paired timber doors are diagonal timber sheeted. They are set on four cut-stone steps.
The elevation is divided into the three bays by four buttresses. There are two three-stage reducing angle buttresses to the exterior. There are two hexagonal projecting tower-like buttresses or shafts flanking the door.
The three-stage buttresses to the exterior are surmounted by a carved stone finial (replacemenets). Finials to the centre buttresses have been removed and not replaced.

The side North and South elevations are five bays in width, divided at each bay by two-stage buttresses. Windows are long pointed-arched lancet timber set on cut-stone sills. Most window openings have external protective uPVC frames.

The rear East elevation is gable-ended. It has two pointed arched lancet windows set on cut-stone sills. Windows are original timber. The elevation is partially obscured by the single-storey vestry return. There is a simple rendered chimney to the apex of the gable.

External walls to the front elevation are stone with matching cut-stone dressings. The side and rear elevations are of plain render. Walls rest on a projecting cut-stone plinth.
The roof is pitched withfibre cement slate. Rainwater goods are replacement extruded aluminum.

Returns:
The single-storey vestry is located to the centre of the rear elevation. It has an open porch with a pitched roof over to the East. There is a square-headed timber paneled door set within. There is a square-headed replacement uPVC window to the rear. The roof is pitched with natural slate.

Setting:
The First Presbyterian Church is located to the South of Parkers Farm, and fronts onto Hillhead Road. There are four cut-stone piers leading to the main entrance door. There is a recently constructed ramp added at the front entrance. The front boundary has stone piers and original cast iron railings between.
There is an access road to the South of the Church leading to the Manse. The Manse is located to the rear, and faces over green fields with a small lake approx 200 metres to the East.

Historical information

This church (Stewartstown First Presbyterian) is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833-34, and all others to date. Although it is mentioned in the OS Memoirs of 1834 and Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of 1837, neither supply any other details. The present church was built in 1851 and designed by the architect, J. McNea of Belfast. The accompanying manse is shown on the 1906 OS town plan and first recorded in the valuation books in 1912 (when a Rev. James Donaldson was in residence).

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1B/611 First valuation, Donaghenry parish, c.1833
2 PRONI VAL/1D/6/4 OS plan of Stewartstown, c.1833(-c.38)
3 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland…vol.20’, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams, (QUB, 1993), p.37 (1834)
4 Lewis, Samuel, ‘Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, vol.11’, (Dublin, 1837)
5 PRONI VAL/2D/6/6 OS map, Co Tyrone sheet 39, with valuation
references, 1859
6 PRONI VAL/2B/6/11A Second valuation, Donaghenry parish, 1859
7 PRONI VAL/12B/37/20A Annual valuation revision book, Stewartstown ED, 1860-63
8 PRONI VAL/12B/37/20B Annual valuation revision book, Stewartstown ED, 1864-78
9 PRONI VAL/12B/37/20C Annual valuation revision book, Stewartstown ED, 1879-81
10 PRONI VAL/12B/37/20D Annual valuation revision book, Stewartstown ED, 1882-92
11 PRONI VAL/12B/37/20E Annual valuation revision book, Stewartstown ED, 1893-1901
12 PRONI VAL/12B/37/20F Annual valuation revision book, Stewartstown ED, 1902-11
13 PRONI OS/6/156/1 OS plan of Stewartstown, 1906(-c.24)
14 PRONI VAL/12B/37/20G Annual valuation revision book, Stewartstown ED, 1912-29
15 PRONI VAL/3B/7/5 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Stewartstown ED, 1935
16 PRONI VAL/3C/7/5 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Stewartstown ED, 1936-57
17 PRONI VAL/4B/6/6 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Stewartstown ED, 1957-72
18. Builder 9, 16th August (1851), p517

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

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

Evaluation

This is a late Georgian Presbyterian Church in a restrained Gothic Revival style. Its front elevation in particular is well detailed and proportioned and the interior has retained much of its character. The front boundary walling and cast iron railings contribute to the churches character, and to the rear, the unaltered setting extends to include a lake. The church fabric has suffered from several explosions aimed at the nearby police station, but this has not overly diminished its special character.
It has group value with the adjacent unlisted Manse (HB09/08/027).