2nd Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached single-cell double-height Italianate Presbyterian Church, dated 1787, located to north of Trenchill Road. Plan is rectangular with rectangular porch and tower to east gable-end and single-storey minister’s room and boiler house to south.

Roof is pitched and slated with clay ridge tiles, overhanging eaves and timber bargeboards to gable-ends, and flat roof to porch. Walls are ruled-and-lined render over projecting plinth, with rendered quoins. Windows are round-arched-headed timber-framed with masonry cills and chamfered surrounds, containing leaded stained glass with central casement opening unless otherwise stated.

Principal elevation faces north. Nave is five windows wide. Abutted to left by three stage square tower. First stage has rusticated banding, containing round-arched-headed double-leaf timber entrance door with fanlight, flanked by projecting bays to corners, on ogee moulded plinth; stage terminates with surmounting moulded string course. Second stage contains single window flanked to corners by paired pilasters, surmounted by cornice. Third stage contains pair of windows within recessed bay, flanked by pairs of plain rendered pilasters to corners. Stage terminates with cornice, surmounted by a copper cupola.

East elevation abutted by porch and tower to right. Exposed wall has single window to left. Porch to centre with tower to right (as north elevation). Porch has rusticated quoins, over ogee moulded plinth, and contains three square-headed stained glass windows to ground floor (left is blind), with masonry cills. Surmounted by moulded string course continuing into tower. To first floor level, there are paired pilasters to left corner (as tower), three windows to centre. Cornice above continues into tower and is surmounted by parapet coping. Elevation abutted to left by boiler house, containing square-headed timber entrance door with rectangular fanlight.

South elevation has two windows to centre. Abutted on left by minister’s room (cat-slide roof) containing three square-headed timber 1/1 sliding sash windows and modern timber entrance door with fanlight to east. Abutted on right by boiler house.

West elevation contains two windows to centre. Abutted to right by minister’s room.

Church set in churchyard with graveyard to south and west (Earliest stone found dated 1859). Church hall to east, c.1950, built in style of church, with further entrance porch to south, c.1970. Site bounded to north by roughcast walling surmounted by hedge and square gate pillars forming an alcoved entrance, supporting wrought iron double-leaf gates.

Roof Natural Slate
Walling Ruled-and-lined render
Windows Round-arched-headed Timber frame casement with leaded stained glass
Rainwater goods Replacement Cast iron half-round guttering and round downpipes

Historical information

The first minister in the church was Rev John Anderson, ordained in 1763. Following this, Rev. William Holmes, of Ramelton, was ordained in 1768, also taking services in Larne and Islandmagee. During the 1798 Rebellion Holmes formed and trained the Ballyeaston Yeomanry. They used the field on which the Manse is now built, hence the name "Parade Manse".

The meeting house at this time was situated in the townland of Rashee, new meeting house built on current site in 1787.
Mr. John Wright was ordained on 2 Sept. 1813. On the union of the two Synods the congregation became "Second Ballyeaston". Latter ministers included Mr. Alexander Pollock, ordained June 1842, Mr. Andrew Burrows Porter, 1860-1902, Mr. William Brann 1901-41, during which time, the congregation decided on extensive renovation of the church (1901-3) and on the building of a new manse in 1907; Mr James Coulter, 1941-65, who was minister when the Brown Memorial Hall was built. Present minister is Rev. Robert Archibald Boyd.

To left of door (north elevation) ‘The first stone of this house was laid by the Revd Wm Holmes June 9th 1787, Then 19 years minister of this congregation. Restored June 9th 1987. A Davidson.’ To right of door (north elevation) ‘Renovated 1903…’ followed by list of previous ministers. The external and internal detailing indicates that the 1903 renovation was not the only substantial change: the pews are Nineteenth century, much of the stained glass is modern and there are no early memorials inside.

References
Secondary Sources
1. http://www.presbyterianireland.org/congregations/ballyeaston2.html, accessed 28/10/08
2. http://www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com/index.php?id=searchcongregations, accessed 28/10/08

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A Presbyterian church dating from the Eighteenth century, this building has a degree of Italianate detailing around the entrance at the tower to the west end, while the nave is plainly detailed. While the plan form and the round headed window openings survive from the church foundation, , the substantial remodelling in the early Twentieth century has resulted in a later church that is not among the best examples of the type.