Former sexton's house (at Kilmore Presbyterian church)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey, split level, sexton’s house of c.1835 with hipped roof and semicircular headed windows, which appears to have been lengthened some time after 1858. The building is set next of the gateway to Kilmore Presbyterian Church, and is said to have been built to prevent body snatching from the adjacent graveyard. The whole church ensemble is sited to the E side of Drumaghlis Road, roughly 3½ miles E of Ballynahinch.

The asymmetrical front façade faces roughly S. To the left of centre is a relatively modern looking semicircular headed timber sheeted door with glazed semicircular panel. To the left of this is a semicircular headed sash window with Georgian panes (9/6). To the right of the doorway is a similar window.

The short W façade has a small window with modern frame. The E façade is abutted by a single storey gabled stable, which is entered from the N, where the ground level is much lower.

Due to the drop in ground level to the N, the N façade of the house is two storey. To the ground floor there is a timber sheeted door, then a small boarded up window opening, then a boarded up doorway, then another timber sheeted door, and, to far right, another boarded up window opening. The N façade of the stables consists of paneled ‘screens’ / doors set between three cast iron columns.

The façade of the house is finished in rough cast render. The hipped roof is slated and has a single yellow brick chimney stack. Cast iron rw goods.

Curving rubble wall to W side of house. Decorative iron pedestrian gate to E.

Historical information

Kilmore Presbyterian Church was built in 1832, following the split in the Rademan Presbyterian congregation. This sexton’s house was built a few years after the church, possibly between 1835 and 1840,reportedly this was to guard against body-snatching from the adjacent graveyard. The building is shown significantly smaller than present (and without the stable) on the OS map of 1858. It appears to have been extended to the east side (and the stable added) in the late 1800s.

The property is now vacant and used primarily as a store.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/23/1 OS map, Down sh 23, 1834
2 PRONI OS/6/3/23/2 OS map, Down sh 23, 1858
3 PRONI OS/6/3/23/3 OS map, Down sh 23, c.1901

Secondary sources
1 R.S.J. Clarke ‘Gravestone inscriptions Co Down vol.3’ (Belfast ?1973), pp.56-61
2 C.E.B. Brett ‘Historic buildings…East Down’ (Belfast 1973), p.51

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Single storey, split level, sexton’s house of c.1835 with hipped roof and semicircular headed windows, which appears to have been lengthened some time after 1858. The building is set next of the gateway to Kilmore Presbyterian Church, and is said to have been built to prevent body snatching from the adjacent graveyard. It is of special interest for its style, proportion, ornamentation, and local historical and social importance. The mid nienteenth century stable extension has enhanced the interest of the building which is also important because of its deliberate setting in relation to the nearby bridge (HB18/05/040)and church (HB18/05/014)and the group value with the similar school house (HB18/05/015)and adjacent Presbyterian Church.