First Non- Subscribing Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

T-planned Gothic Revival granite church and tower facing west towards John Mitchel Place at junction with William Street.

Pitched natural slate roof with coped and parapeted gables (with a gablet at bottom of each verge). Half-round metal gutters and down pipes to sides. Walls are of squared random granite rubble, with dressed granite buttresses and openings.

Main elevation comprises a gable end, with projecting tower and entrance at right. The gable has a stepped buttress to left corner and is surmounted by a stone finial. It contains a large traceried Gothic window with chamfered jambs and cill, and voussoired hood. It has a small lancet vent over.

The square-plan tower is three stages high over a raised plinth, and is surmounted by an octagonal stone spire. A pair of stepped ashlar buttresses rise to spire on each corner of tower. Stepped plinth on all sides (except that abutting church) . Ground stage facing street contains main entrance to church. Comprises a pair of vertically sheeted timber doors (with large iron hinges) under a steep Gothic gabled and finialed porch. First stage, which rises clear of the abutting gable, contains a louvred ogee-headed lancet opening; this is flanked by an identical, but blind, opening on either side. Wall of second stage is recessed slightly behind general line of wall; delineated by three sloping cill courses at bottom at flat arch at top. Panel contains a pair of blind Gothic lancets. The tower is topped by an ogee-moulded cornice. The front cant of the tower has a lucarne at base, and small a sloping buttresses on each flanking cant. The right elevation of the tower is similar to the principal façade, except that the ground floor has three small ogee-headed lancet windows (divided by colonettes) at base instead of a door. The east elevation is identical to the front elevation but the ground stage is plain. The left elevation is identical to the right side from the first stage upwards.

The right elevation of the church (ie south-facing section of nave) has, to right of tower, two traceried Gothic windows (with chamfered surrounds) separated by a stepped buttress; below each window is a small vent. At right is gabled south transept, with paired corner buttresses similar to main façade. Its gable contains a window similar to, but smaller than, that on the main façade, and also has ventilation slit above. Its left cheek contains a lancet window.

The left (north) elevation of the nave is identical to the right elevation except that there is a third window in place of the tower, identical to the two on its left. The gabled north transept at its far end is also identical, except that there is a steeply gabled porch on its right cheek (the left pitch of this roof continues to ground level).

The east facing walls of the transepts are abutted by a block to rear. A gable rises from eaves at middle of this wall and contains a small vent at its apex.

At the back of the nave is a two-storey block set at right angles to it (ie parallel with the transepts) and running the width of the nave. It has a natural slate gabled roof and walls of squared granite rubble with strap pointing. Its south-facing gable has a large segmental-headed window opening (extending over both floors), with modern painted timber window insert. The opening in the corresponding north gable is identical but it contains an original traceried timber window; below is a lean-to porch to basement door. The east elevation of this block is abutted by a later extension. A gable rises from middle of this wall, with a tall stepped chimney to its right (as viewed from rear of church).

Hall

The one-storey hall which abuts at rear has a flat roof and cement-rendered walls. There is a granite entrance porch (with pair of modern doors and segmental transom light) at its south end in the angle with the block which it abuts. Along its back wall are three sets of nine-paned windows and a pair of three-paned windows.

Setting

The church is bounded by a squared strap-pointed rubble granite wall. This has splayed copings, gabled piers, and pitched along its outside faces. Gabled and buttressed gate pillars.The wall is surmounted at front by decorative wrought iron railings.

Historical information

Designed by Newry-born William J. Barre (1830-67), a student of Thomas Duff and also the designer of the Ulster Hall and Albert Clock (both Belfast). Opened on 17 July 1853. Canavan notes that, until then, Non-Conformist churches had been plain and simple, but Barre's Gothic creation broke with this tradition. The organ now in use was first played in St George’s Chapel, Windsor from 1806 to 1898. It was then removed to Rosemary Street Presbyterian Church, Belfast, before being installed here in Newry in 1928.

The Warnock hall was opened by Lord Grey of Naughton, Governor of N. Ireland, on 14 Sept 1969.

Secondary sources:

1. G.H. Bassett (1886), County Down guide and directory, p.93
2. T. Canavan (1989), Frontier town: an illustrated history of Newry, p.152 (Belfast: Blackstaff).
3. Plaque on organ.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

T-planned Gothic Revival granite church and tower. Thisis a good, relatively unaltered early example of the work of the important Newry architect W J Barre. It marks the transition from plain simple Non-Conformist churches to more elaborate designs. Its plan form, roof detailing, and steeply pitched porches give it added architectural interest.