Site of former National Schoolhouse

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site, to the N side of Shore Street Presbyterian Church, of a former single storey national schoolhouse of 1861, demolished in 1998 with new modern church hall now in place.

The survey of February 1973 reads: ‘Single storey building. Roof slated, gabled front, extended backwards at lower level and joining church at right angles- forms enclosed court. Chimney rendered and painted. Front gable has verge course and pilaster quoins with central triple, central [window] wider and higher; gothic heads with label moulding over all three. Windows drop hung, vertical and [?] astragals. Condition fair. Front gable about 21 feet’.

Historical information

The former schoolhouse on this site was built in 1861, the third of Donaghadee’s National Schools. Unusually for a national school, it appears to have been physically linked to the neighbouring Presbyterian church- the original 1830s legislation forbade national schools to be connected, both metaphorically and literally, with any denomination. The school appears to closed some time before 1939 (it is not marked as such on the 6in OS map of that year) and was afterwards used as a church hall. The building was demolished in 1998 and a new larger hall built on the site.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/12E/121/1/1-9 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1864-1908
2 PRONI OS/8/8/2//1-3 OS town plan of Donaghadee, 1901
3 PRONI VAL/12E/121/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1908-35
4 PRONI VAL/3G/69/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1932-56
5 PRONI VAL/3G/69/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1934-43

Secondary sources
1 Hugh Dixon, Ken Kenmuir and Jill Kennett, ‘Historic buildings…Donaghadee and Portpatrick (Belfast, 1977), p.26 [This book conjectures that the schoolhouse was built ‘about 1894’.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site, next to Shore Street Presbyterian Church, of a former single storey national schoolhouse of 1861, demolished in 1998 with new modern church hall now in place.