Whitehouse Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Double height Venetian Gothic brick Presbyterian church built c1865, largely rebuilt c2005, located on the east side of the Shore Road, Whitehouse. The church comprises original gabled west front flanked by lower two-storey wings and abutted by single-storey flat roofed vestibule; remainder of the church is of modern construction and is of no interest.

Roof is pitched natural slate with lead ridges. Walling is Flemish bonded red brick with brick plinth to vestibule, square basalt plinth to wings. Wings have sandstone platbands to ground and first floor cill level and to window arch springing level, corners are stop-end chamfered with cusped gablets. Windows are cusped Gothic lancets with aluminium frames, chamfered brick reveals, sandstone ashlar cills. All have ashlar sandstone heads with black brick voussoirs (unless otherwise stated).

Principal gable is framed by slightly projecting piers and has intricately detailed raking cornice and frieze over cogged polychrome brick banding. First floor has triple recessed pointed arched opening divided by brick pilasters with foliated capitals from supporting flush bead moulded sandstone ashlar heads; three cusped sandstone windows within; roundel inset to sandstone head of central window opening; all framed by partially engaged colonnettes with decorated foliated capitals. String course at springing arch level. Vestibule to ground floor has parapet with cornice and decorative frieze, central section breaks forward and contains paired pointed arched double-leaf diagonally timber-sheeted doors, contained beneath M-profile ashlar sandstone canopy with raking cornice and supported on limestone colonnettes with carved capitals on stepped chamfered pedestals. Gauged brick roundel to centre, single lancet (no voussoirs) at either side. Porch cheeks are blank; each has two circular drainage openings.

Each wing comprises an opening at each floor to each face.

Remainder of building is of modern construction

Roof natural slate
Walling Flemish bond red & yellow brick with sandstone detailing
Windows aluminium
RW goods metal

Historical information

The church is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1902 and is captioned 'Presbyterian Church'.

The Presbyterian congregation of Whitehouse was formed in 1866, and the foundation stone of the church was laid on 01 January 1867; the capacity of the new church was 640 people. The first minister was the Rev. Hugh Smyth, brother of Dr. Richard Smyth, Member of Parliament for Derry.

In 1959 a hall was added to the rear of the church. This was enlarged in 1972. The church was destroyed by fire in August 2002, rebuilding and renovation work began in 2005. The interior of the building suffered substantial flood damage in 2008, and is currently undergoing major refurbishment.

References

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/1/57/1 -First Edition OS Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/57/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/57/3 –Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1902)

Secondary Sources:
1. Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland Website:
2. BBC Newsline website:

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Whitehouse Presbyterian Church was originally built in the latter part of the nineteenth century in the Venetian Gothic style. The church was almost completely destroyed by fire in the early part of the twenty-first century, and nothing remains of the original structure but the gable façade. The façade displays the flamboyant character and styling of the former building, with intricately detailed polychrome brickwork typical of the period and attractive stone entrance canopy. The modern body of the church has been constructed to support rather than compete with what remains of the historic building and the whole is a good example of rebuilding.