Methodist Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey stuccoed Methodist church, with cupola, of 1908-9 by J. St John Phillips, set within a sloping terrace. The building, prominently located on the south side of Moat Street at the junction with High Street, is believed to incorporate some of the fabric of the original church, built on this site in 1849. To the west side of the church there is a pair of two to two and a half storey buildings, whose facades show a certain similarity to the church itself, suggesting both now belong to it.

To the left side of the asymmetrical N front façade is the semicircular arch headed entrance. Double timber doors are framed by plain pilasters with concave reveals / archivolt with plain key stone. The plain tympanum is inscribed ‘Methodist Church’ Directly above the keystone is a plain frieze and moulded cornice. Either side of the door surround are rusticated pilasters which rise through two floors to support a eaves / cornice moulding off which rises a small pediment.

To the right of the door is a slightly recessed bay with a semicircular arch headed window with 9 Georgian panes. To the right again are a further three similar openings all of which have been boarded over. To the first floor, between the aforementioned pilasters (to the left side) is a multi-panes Georgian style window with moulded dressings and plain keystone. To the right (in the afore mentioned recessed bay) is a similar window. To the right again are a further three similar windows which rest on a moulded sill course. The windows are framed by plain pilasters which rise from corbels at the level of the ground floor window heads. The mouldings to the reveals of the 4 right-most windows drop below the sill course to rest on a fine moulded and stepped string course.

The main roof is covered with natural slate. It is hipped and is partly concealed behind a parapet with a heavily moulded copestone. To the E side of the roof the octagonal ‘drum’ of the cupola rises to support the (slightly ogee shaped) faceted dome. The drum is clad in horizontal timber boarding and the dome is clad in copper. A tall mace like finial tops the dome.

To the left is a two storey building which appears to house ancillary rooms, meeting rooms, stores etc. The ground floor openings(one tripartite mullioned window, a single window and a single door to the right side) all have moulded surrounds surmounted by a plain frieze and cornice. The four evenly spaced first floor windows all rest on a sill course.

To the far right is a two and a half storey building. The ground floor openings (two single doors to the right and two single windows to the left are all framed with decorative pilasters which rise above the window openings to support a small cornice. There is a small moulded keystone. The three evenly spaced first floor windows all have heavily moulded shouldered moulded surrounds whit keystones and these are supported on consul brackets which are located below a sill course. Three semicircular headed windows with moulded surrounds each sit within gabled half dormers.

The rear S façade comprises a large flat roofed full width single storey extension. This appears to have been added recently and sports modern windows and door openings and a series of roof lights. To the right side of the first floor is (what is assumed to be ) the rear of the church proper which has three evenly spaced semicircular arch headed windows the centre of which has leaded panes. To the left is the first floor of the ‘annex houses which is fittedwith a series of modern window openings.

Historical information

This church was largely built in 1908-9 to designs by J. St John Philips. It replaced an earlier building of 1849, part of the fabric of which is believed to have been incorporated into the new structure. The interior and roof were destroyed by fire in 1976, but repaired shortly afterwards.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/8/8/1/1-9 OS town plan of Donaghadee, 1859
2 PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s’) valuation Donaghadee parish, Donaghadee, 1863.
3 PRONI VAL/12E/121/1/1-9 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1864-1908
4 PRONI OS/8/8/2//1-3 OS town plan of Donaghadee, 1901
5 Linen Hall Library ‘The Irish Builder’, 1908 p.639, 1909 p.341
6 PRONI VAL/12E/121/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1908-35
7 PRONI VAL/3G/69/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1932-56
8 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.14

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Somewhat Mannerist, two storey stuccoed Methodist church, with cupola, of 1908-9 by J. St John Phillips, set within a sloping terrace. The building, prominently located on the south side of Moat Street at the junction with High Street, is believed to incorporate some of the fabric of the original church, built on this site in 1849.