Salvation Army Citadel

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey hall with classical façade fronting east side of Trevor Hill; set back from street within a railed forecourt.

Pitched artificial slate roof with pedimented gable to façade. Metal rainwater goods. Façade walls are painted lime render; the ground floor has banded rustication and the first floor is lined with stepped rendered quoins. Rendered pilasters rise from a platband at first floor level to support a plain frieze underneath a moulded cornice. The frieze carries the words “The Salvation Army”. Over the cornice is a moulded pediment within which a modern Salvation Army logo has been affixed.

A single storey porch projects at centre of ground floor. It has a flat roof with platband under (a continuation of the façade). Its walls are painted lined render. The wall facing to the street contains a pair of square headed panelled painted timber doors (top panels lancet shaped). On each cheek is a small segmental headed 1/1 sliding sash window with rendered painted cill. On either side of the porch, on gable wall of main block, is a segmental headed 3/3 sash window, each with a moulded architrave and rendered cill. Placed in the three spaces between the pilasters at first floor are three tall semicircular headed 4/4 sliding sash windows (one to each bay), in line with ground floor openings. These also have moulded architraves and painted cills. The right elevation is cement rendered and without openings.

The back wall is cement dashed over a smooth rendered base. It contains two 6/4 sash windows in semi-circular headed openings symmetrically placed which are trimmed with granite and have granite cills. There is also a small louvred vent in the apex. The left elevation is identical to right, but is abutted at left by a kitchen extension. It has a monopitch artificial slate roof and smooth rendered walls. Its left cheek, which is in line with the back gable of the main block, contains a modern glazed timber door and semicircular headed casement window. This extension is abutted by a smaller extension which has an artificial slate roof and tall rendered chimney rising from it.

The front of the premises is bounded by cast iron railings with decorative iron corner posts over a coped rendered wall. The main entrance gates at middle are flanked by plain rendered painted piers. There is also a smaller entrance at right with decorative cast iron posts.

Historical information

Formerly known as the Ebenezer chapel, it was erected in 1816 according to Bassett (it is shown on the 1835 OS map).
The 19thC plan of Newry, has a border illustrating some of the towns prominent buildings. This building is shown, as it is today but without a porch (there is a stucco doorcase) and its pediment has a plaque stating ‘Ebenezer chapel’.

The 1861 OS map shows a school house a short distance east of the premises (now gone) - this was financed by a levy of 1d - 4d per week on each pupil and £10 per year from the congregation. No porch is shown on the chapel on the 1873 OS map so this is obviously a later addition. This map also shows a small return at the east end of the north wall, where the present rear porch stands. In 1908 the Salvation Army moved into the chapel, where they have since remained.

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI- OS 9/15/1/1 (1835 OS map).
2. PRONI- OS 9/15/2/13 (1861/73 map).
3. PRONI- VAL 2B/3/69G, p.59.
4. Illustrated 19thC town plan of Newry (copy in Newry Library).

Secondary Sources:
1. G.H. Bassett, ‘Co Down Guide and Directory’, (1886), p.93.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two-storey hall with classical façade fronting east side of Trevor Hill; set back from street within a railed forecourt. An early example of non-conformist religious building still in a related use and with a reasonably intact facade and setting. However, the integrity of the building is diminished by the modern interior.