TARTARAGHAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Freestanding double-height roughcast Presbyterian church, dated 1824, located on the east side of Cloncarrish Road. Rectangular plan flanked by lower one-storey wings; single-storey session room to north (1950), and single-storey vestibule to south (1978).

Pitched natural slate roof to main body of church with terracotta ridge tiles and kneelered stone gable verges rising to stone finials and twin conical topped steel ventilators to the ridge with profiled plastic and cast-iron rainwater goods. South and north wings have kneelered stone gable verges rising to square stone caps. Walling is roughcast render with plain masonry cornice. East elevation of south wing has red brick walling laid in stretcher bond under painted render. Pointed arched window openings with stone surround, plain reveals and projecting stone sills containing stained glass throughout with the exception of the west elevation of the north wing which has square-headed window openings containing uPVC casements.

Principal elevation faces east and has four pointed arch windows to main volume. A slate plaque with masonry surround is centrally placed below the stone cornice and reads ‘TARTARAGHAN PRESBYTERIAN MEETING HOUSE 1824’. The east elevation of the south wing has a pointed arched door opening with plain reveals containing a double leaf eight-panelled timber door under a stained glass transom. The east elevation of the north wing has a single pointed arch window opening containing stained glass to the right of a pointed arch door opening with painted masonry surround and plinth with plain reveals containing a six-panelled timber door under stained glass transom; a centrally placed slate plaque with masonry surround reads ‘MATTHEW GRAY MEMORIAL SESSION ROOM 1950.’

South elevation comprises two gables; that of both the main volume and South wing. The south elevation of the south wing has two pointed arch window openings containing stained glass.

West elevation has two pointed arch window openings to main volume and four square-headed windows to north wing as detailed above.

North elevation has a single pointed arch window opening containing stained glass.

The church is surrounded by a burial ground of a mixture of gravemarkers and monuments and is bounded by a painted and rendered masonry wall and two piers with masonry caps either side of a vehicular entrance containing wrought-iron gates.

Historical information

Tartaraghan Presbyterian Church stands on a site that had been administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh since at least the 17th century with a small Chapel ‘with a thatched roof’ being erected in 1790. After some time a storm ‘stripped the roof of its thatch and scraws’ and the site lay derelict for a number of years being occasionally utilised as a venue for cockfighting, until it passed into the hands of the local Presbyterians for the construction of a Meeting House.

A group went to the Secession Presbytery of Armagh on 13th May 1823, where they requested ‘supply of sermon’. This was granted, and maintained with such success, that in January of the following year the congregation petitioned for their own Minister. The first minister was ordained on 4th November 1824.

The building of the Meeting House was completed in 1825, at a cost of £375 and appears on the 1st Edition OSNI map (1833). However, the Rev GWD Rea, writing in 1903, stated that there was then a stone in the wall of the Church inscribed ‘Tartaraghan Meeting House 1822 A.D.’ which may be indicative of an older building on the site being reconstructed in 1824. There is also a local tradition that one of the walls of the old Chapel was incorporated into the Meeting House.

Thomas McIlroy’s ordnance survey memoirs of 1837 described the Meeting House, during the ministry of the Rev James Shaw, as a ‘stone building, white washed and slated, 55 feet long and 32 feet broad.’ He continues to characterise the interior as ‘commodious’ but states that at this time the building was unceiled, having no finishes.

In December 1900 the Meeting House suffered damage as the result of a fire which broke out during a magic lantern lecture. Extensive repairs and improvements were immediately undertaken and the Church was re-opened in August 1901.

During the ministry of Rev John Forsythe (1920-1943), a further renovation of the Church was carried out. This included the enlargement of the window apertures, and the erection of six quality stained-glass windows, the four on the east being a gift of Miss P McClelland of Derrylard, in memory of her relatives John, Sophia, and Annie McClelland. The stained-glass was executed by the firm of WJ Douglas and Sons.

In 1950 and 1978 the additions of a Session Room and Vestibule were undertaken respectively.

References
Primary sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/6/1/1 County Series Edition 1 (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/1/1 County Series Edition 2 (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/48/3 County Series Edition 3 (1906)
4. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland: Parishes of Co. Armagh 1835-8 VOL 1

Secondary sources:
1. Mulligan, Kevin V., The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster Armagh, Cavan and Monaghan; Yale University Press, 2013, London
2. Brett, CEB,. Buildings of County Armagh; UAHS, 1999, Belfast
3. Fleming, WEC., 1977 'Tartaraghan Precinct' Journal of Craigavon Historical Society Vol.3, No. 3

Online sources:
1. https://tartaraghan.org/ (accessed 10/12/2019)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed
Not listed
Not listed
Not listed

Evaluation

Tartaraghan Presbyterian Church appears as a 19th Century Presbyterian Meeting House, dated 1824, located on the east side of Cloncarrish Road. Externally, it is neatly proportioned with simple detailing and little architectural ornamentation. The form of the church is that of a modest earlier, possibly 18th century building, but the widened window openings and extensions are of 20th century origin. Internally, the replacement stained-glass windows and ornate ceiling contibute to the variation in styles found within and without the building. Though of local and historical interest, the building in itself is not of sufficient special interest to meet the criteria for listing.

General comments

Listing Query ref: HB/14/LQ012