Site of former Primitive Methodist Church Meeting House Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site of former Primitive Methodist hall/church of 1830, situated between the rear of No.36 The Square, and the Portaferry Presbyterian Church, now completely demolished with the site used as a small car park.

This building was described in a survey of 1978 as ‘A single cell hall pitched gabled approximately 45ft by 25ft. Two lancets west end, four lancets north end, damaged by inserting a wagon door. Blank south side. Rubble blackstone with brick dressings to windows. Harled and white washed inside.’

Historical information

Built in 1830 by the Primitive Methodist congregation of Portaferry at a cost of £130, this church was described in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs (c.1834) as being ‘of the plainest architecture...41 feet 9 inches by 24 feet 6 inches’ with a congregation of 40-50. The church remained in use until 1868, at which date the Primitives re-amalgamated with the Wesleyans. The building was later used as a store and was demolished in 1978.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
2 PRONI VAL/1B/37 1st valuation, Ballyphilip, c.1835-38
3 'Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II', ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), p. 12.
4 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation town plan of Portaferry, c.1838
5 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.520-23
6 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
7 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.592-95
8 PRONI OS/8/23/1- OS town plan of Portaferry, 1859
9 PRONI Second ('Griffith's') valuation, 1863 [In print.]
10 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, c.1863, with revisions of 1902
11 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870), pp.341-43
12 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
13 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
14 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
15 PRONI VAL/12E/112/2- Valuation maps of Portaferry, 1902, with revisions of 1935

Secondary sources
1 G. Philip Bell, C.E.B. Brett, Sir Robert Matthew, 'Ulster Architectural Heritage Survey: Portaferry & Strangford'
(Belfast UAHS 1969)
2 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.3' (1979), p.iv. [Photo of ‘the ancient Methodist Church in Meetinghouse
Lane...taken by Mr. Ernest Elliot before the structure was demolished’.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site of former single storey Primitive Methodist meeting house of 1830, now demolished.