Molesworth Street Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a detached rendered two-storey Presbyterian Church, built c.1835. It is rectangular in plan with a single-storey lean-to extension to the rear. There is a two-storey Church Hall to the rear South.
The Church is set back from Molesworth Street within the North-eastern suburbs of Cookstown. There is a Manse located to the East, built during the same period.

The front North elevation is gable-ended, symmetrical and faces onto the street. The ground floor has a square-headed doorway to the centre with a leaded coloured glass window to each side.
The door has pilasters to each side with carved console brackets and cut-stone base plinths. The console brackets support a projecting entablature and carved segmental-headed cornice. The reveals of the doorway have carved stone raised and fielded panels. The door is timber.

The ground floor windows are square-headed with chamfered reveals. There are pilasters to each side with carved console brackets set on cut-stone sills. The console brackets support a projecting entablature with a triangulated cornice.
Windows to the upper level are round-headed with leaded coloured glass and a continuous sill stringcourse. There are carved stone surrounds to windows and a carved central keystone over. There is continuous projecting stringcourse above the first floor windows. There is a carved stone roundel to the tympanum inscribed ‘A.D. 1835’. There is a decorative rounded ventilator to the centre of the roundel. There is a carved dentilled course and a projecting cornice to the eaves.

Both the side West and East elevations have square headed windows to the ground floor. The upper level windows are round-headed. All windows are stained glass with cut-stone sills.
The rear South elevation has no openings.

The roofs are artificial slate with cast-iron rainwater goods. There is a rendered bell-cote to the centre of the North gable. The bell-cote has a projecting cornice and a finial to the apex.
External walls to the front elevation are lined rusticated render to the ground floor and plain render to the upper levels. There is a cut-stone plinth to the base. The side and rear elevations are plain unpainted render with rendered quoins to edges.

Extension:
The rendered single-storey lean-to extension to the rear Northwest has an assortment of uPVC windows and doors. There is artificial slate to the roof with a plain rendered chimney. There is a rendered plinth to elevations.

Setting:
Molesworth Presbyterian Church is set back from Molesworth Street behind a low squared rockfaced stone wall. It has cut-stone capping and cast-iron railings. There are double gates leading from the pavement to the main doorway via three cut-stone steps. There is a grass area to the front of the Church with an extensive tarmac area surrounding the Church. The Presbyterian Church is set to the North-eastern side of the town centre.

Historical information

This church was built by Cookstown’s Third Presbyterian congregation. A date stone suggests that the building was built in 1835. According to W.J.H. McKee’s history of the congregation, however, although the foundation stone was laid on 30th July of that year, work was stalled because storm damage forced the builders to tear down and rebuild part of the walls shortly after they had been completed. As a result the church was not formally opened until 19th March 1837. It is mentioned in Lewis’s ‘Topographical Dictionary’ of that year, but an entry within the first valuation book, which appears to date from 1838, describes the building as ‘not finished’ at that point.

The manse to the east side of the church dates from c.1845, and was paid for by the then minister, John Knox Leslie. Apparently, an insurance policy was taken out on the minister’s life in order to cover the outlay, with the congregation assuming the responsibility for the payment of the premiums. Both the church and the manse are shown on the revised OS map of 1857.

In 1929, Cookstown Third Presbyterian Congregation united with the town’s Second Congregation, with the latter abandoning its church in Loy Street and moving to this building. The Loy Street meeting house, (built c.1801-04), was subsequently acquired by Church of Ireland parish of Derryloran for use as a hall.

Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1B/622A First valuation, Derryloran parish, 1834-c.1838
2 PRONI VAL/1D/6/2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, c.1838
3 Lewis, Samuel, ‘A topographical dictionary of Ireland…’ vol.1, (London, 1837)
4 PRONI VAL/2C/63 Second valuation, Union of Cookstown (Dublin, 1859) [This is the printed version of the second valuation. The handwritten version (which may have been more detailed and include property dimensions etc.) no longer exists. The printed volume merely provides names of tenants and leaseholders, and rateable values.]
5 PRONI VAL/2D/6/3/1-2 Valuation plan of Cookstown, 1859-82 [2 sheets]

Secondary sources
1 McKee, W.J.H., 'History of the Congregation'

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A well composed mid-scale Church representing an important element of the early nineteenth-century ecclesiastical heritage of Cookstown having connections with the local Presbyterian communities. Although subject to a small number of modifications to the rear extension, the elementary composition attributes prevail. The Church is classical in style and has fine cast iron railings and gates to the front. It occupies a prominent location in Molesworth Street, emphasizing its considerable social significance.