Seymour Street Methodist Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Free-standing symmetrical single-storey over basement gable-fronted double-height polychromatic brick Methodist Church, built 1876 with pair of gabled projections to either nave elevation. T-shaped on plan facing west on an elevated site on the east side of Seymour Street, with two-bay two-storey vestry attached to rear and two-storey redbrick extension attached to vestry, built c.2000.

Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles set behind raised stone verges to all gables resting on corbelled kneeler stones. Moulded cast-iron guttering to decorative angled brick eaves course and cast-iron downpipes. Redbrick walling laid in English garden wall bond, flush yellow and black brick courses, black brick diaper-work and projecting black brick course and diamond-course to frieze. Splayed rock-faced basalt ashlar plinth course to south elevation topped by angled black brick course. Double-height round-headed window openings with alternating red and yellow brick heads, stop-chamfered reveals, splayed sandstone sills and leaded coloured glazing and storm glazing.

Gabled west front elevation has stone coping and angled brick course to the gable with skew tables to the corbelled kneeler stones and nail-head course below. To the upper level of the gable is a large gothic-arched recess formed in polychromatic brick supported on squat ston columns with stiff-leaf capitals and containing a sandstone plate tracery rose window with leaded coloured glazing. To the lower level is a carved sandstone stiff-leaf cornice spanning the entire gable (returning to meet the nave projection to either side) )and three round-headed door openings (formerly an open portico), the central opening having a pair of polished stone columns with stiff-leaf capitals and matching stiff-leaf moulding at impost level to either side (returning to meet the nave projection to either side). The three openings are now filled with double-leaf timber glazed doors and timber fanlights above, inserted c.1970.

North nave elevation is abutted by full-height gabled projection to the west end with a circular opening to the upper level with gothic yellowbrick flush band and containing a sandstone plate tracery rose window. To the lower level are three round-headed window openings with a flush stone hood band and stiff-leaf label stops with leaded coloured glazing. The remainder of the nave elevation has four full-height round-headed window openings.

Rear gable abutted by lower two-bay two-storey vestry, in turn abutted to the north by a gable-fronted two-storey rendered extension, built c.1990. The intact south elevation has round-headed window openings to the first floor, segmental-headed to the ground floor with uPVC windows and a segmental-headed entrance with lean-to canopy having natural slate and supported on paired corbels with replacement steel door. The vestry is further abutted by a large redbrick extension dated 1987.

South nave elevation is abutted by full-height gabled projection to the west end with a circular opening to the upper level with gothic yellowbrick flush band and containing a sandstone plate tracery rose window. To the middle level are three round-headed window openings with a flush stone hood band and stiff-leaf label stops with leaded coloured glazing. The basement level is abutted by a gable-fronted entrance porch with round-headed door opening to the west cheek having replacement glazed timber doors and overlight. The remainder of the nave elevation has four full-height round-headed window openings with four segmental-headed openings to the basement level having uPVC windows.

Setting:
Set on an elevated site on the east side of Seymour Street and to the north of Wesley Street accessed to the front by flight of concrete steps and raised platform with decorative cast-iron standard lamps. The site is enclosed to the west by low redbrick wall with decorativecast-iron railings and matching gates while the south is partly enclosed by a low rubblestone wall with yellow and black brick course and cast-iron railing. The south nave elevation is enclosed by a further low polychromatic brick wall. To the north is a bitmac car park.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Redbrick with polychromatic brick courses
Windows Double-height round-headed with leaded coloured glazing

Historical information

The foundation stone of the new ‘Wesleyan church and school-house’ was laid in 1874. According to the Belfast Newsletter, Sir Richard Wallace had furnished the Methodist congregation with a site which was ‘one of the best in Lisburn’ as a ‘free gift’ and it was intended that the site would be sufficient for the church and schools as well as for a manse and garden grounds for each of the ministers. The architect was Mr William Gray and the builders Messrs Thompson of Ballymacarrett, Belfast. Gray was himself a Methodist and was also the designer of a Methodist church in Dromore, County Down. (Belfast Newsletter; www.dia.ie; 1911 census) The church is first shown on the third edition OS map of c1900, captioned ‘Meth[odist] Ch[urch] (Wesleyan)’.

Lisburn holds a prominent position in the history of Irish Methodism having been visited by John Wesley on several occasions. He made his first visit in 1756 and returned several times in the 1770s and 80s. (Orr, p.11) The first Methodist chapel in Lisburn was erected c1772 on a site in Market Street and the building was enlarged in 1783. However by 1874 Market Street had been raised giving the chapel a sunken position. Slaughter-houses had been established in close proximity to the rear which had made the position ‘anything but agreeable’. The minister at the time, the Rev Mr Knowles, commented that, ‘The house itself, while substantial, is somewhat antiquated, and would require a considerable outlay to make it meet our requirements’. The new church, school, two ministers’ residences and appurtenances were to cost ‘well nigh £4,000’. (Belfast Newsletter)

The church was intended to seat 430 persons. “For the present an end gallery only will be provided but provision will be made for side galleries should they be required hereafter…The style may be considered a modification of continental Gothic. No special style will be strictly followed, the principle governing the design being an appropriate employment of inexpensive materials, with due regard to fitness of purpose together with the requirements and comfort of the congregation.” (Irish Builder; Belfast Newsletter)

The completed building was opened in November 1875 and the eventual cost was under £2,700. The church was well received by contemporary observers. “During the series of opening services just concluded the new building has been visited by a very large number of persons, and the general testimony seems to be that this church is so effective in appearance, tasteful in appointments, and perfect in all its arrangements, it may be considered a typical example of a complete Methodist Church’ (Belfast Newsletter; Orr, p.23-6)

A large school-room was built below the church which was initially used as a Sunday School, before eventually opening as a National School in 1886. With the numbers on the rolls increasing, the accommodation became increasingly cramped and a new school was built behind the church to designs by B J St John Phillips, the contractors being Messrs James McNally. The school was opened in 1908 and continued in use until 1966 when it was renovated for use as a church hall. However, the building became increasingly expensive to maintain and was replaced by a new suite of buildings, completed by Messrs William Dowling, and opened in 2000 (Orr, p.28-9; 89)

Several minor alterations have been made to the church itself over the years. In 1912 railings, gate piers and gates were fitted to the church and manse. The present pipe-organ, which was originally water-powered, was installed in 1920 as a First World War memorial. A change was made to electric power c1930 when electricity became available in the town. The installation of the organ entailed alterations in the positioning and access to the choir and pulpit. (Orr, p.50)

Wooden sills and pillars on the inside of the windows were removed and replaced in the 1930s and the windows themselves were replaced with more highly-coloured versions. In the late 1960s renovation work took place which included removing the gable finials, repointing, restoration of stonework and redecorating. (Orr, p.52)

In 1970, the front porch, which had originally been open was enclosed and three double doors fitted. Four memorial windows of c1934, 1963, 1985 and 1997 have been donated to the church. In 1934 a porch was added to give an entrance to the church from the Wesley Street side. Further improvements were carried out to the church in 1985 and 1994 including the provision of a new kitchen and choir room and a disabled access ramp. (Orr, p.50-4; p.86-9)

This record was completed without access to primary source material held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/68/3 – Third Edition OS Map c1900
2. PRONI OS/6/1/68/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1921
3. PRONI OS/6/1/68/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
4. Belfast Newsletter, November 12th, 1874
5. Irish Builder, November 15th, 1874
6. Belfast Newsletter, December 8th, 1875
7. Belfast Newsletter, November 12th, 1874

Secondary Sources

1. Orr, George E “Methodist in Lisburn, the First Two Hundred and Fifty Years” 2000

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
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Free-standing symmetrical single-storey over basement gable-fronted double-height polychromatic brick Methodist Church, built 1876 with pair of gabled projections to either nave elevation. T-shaped on plan facing west on an elevated site on the east side of Seymour Street, with two-bay two-storey vestry attached to rear and two-storey redbrick extension attached to vestry, built c.2000. A highly decorative gabled church building expressing a distinctly late Victorian style echoed by the nearby Manse (HB19/16/018B) and Victoria Crescent (HB19/16/017A-S). Retaining most of its original fabric both internally and externally, the church terminates the vista when viewed from Seymour Street and Castle Street to the west, making it a prominent building in this this part of Lisburn City.