Gilnahirk Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical double-height rendered neo-Gothic Presbyterian Church with two-stage entrance tower (1910); dated 1845 with later alterations; built on the site of an earlier church. Rectangular on plan with two-stage entrance tower and large modern extension to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and raised stone verges. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is smooth render with angle buttresses with offsets and plinth (also to tower); string course to gable; dentillated string course delineating each stage of tower. Windows are leaded and coloured glass casements with projecting masonry sills and hood moulds.

The principal elevation faces northwest and is dominated by the two-stage entrance tower (1910). The tower has a single-storey abutment to either side housing the porch; each surmounted by a trefoil window opening and having dentillated eaves-course and lancet window in deeply recessed moulded surround (paired lancets to southwest and northeast elevations). Belfry with corner pilasters and three-light louvered lancets to three sides; slated pyramid roof parapet surmounted by weathervane. Five stone steps lead to a double-leaf four-panelled oak entrance door in Gothic moulded recess with label mould. Above the door is a painted masonry plaque reading “Presbyterian Church Erected 1797. Rev. F Pringle Minister. Rebuilt 1845 Rev John Coulter D.D. Minister. Renovated and tower built 1910 Rev D.S.K Coulter B.A. Minister”.

The northeast elevation is four lancets wide.

The southeast (rear) elevation is abutted by a large modern extension.

The southwest elevation is four lancets wide.

Setting:

Prominently sited to the west of Gilnahirk Road; cemetery to west with a variety of gravestones dating from the latter part of the nineteenth-century. Rubble stone boundary wall to three sides having cast-iron entrance gates on rubble stone piers to north and east. Tarmacadamed to front with path leading to cemetery at west. Modern church hall (1980s) to north.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Smooth render
Windows: Leaded and coloured glass lancets
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Gilnahirk Presbyterian Church bears a plaque over the front entrance stating that the church was erected in 1787, rebuilt in 1845, renovated and the tower built in 1910.

The origins of the Gilnahirk congregation go back to the early eighteenth century when a number of Presbyterians seceded from the mother church in Scotland over the doctrine of grace and the rights of the people in the election of ministers. A further dispute in 1747 saw the Seceders splitting into Burghers and Anti-Burghers over the taking of oaths that were required in order to sit on Scottish councils. The dispute spread to Ulster where those joining the Seceders were obliged to choose which view they supported. The Synod of Ulster meanwhile had become too rationalist in the view of many of its members and the emergence of the Seceders in 1733 provided an attractive alternative for many of those who were dissatisfied. Lylehill Presbyterians were the first to become affiliated to the Seceders in 1746 and Gilnahirk followed their example, being formed as an Anti-Burgher Secession congregation. (History of Congregations; Miller)

The precise date of the founding of the congregation is unknown but in 1759, they were able to purchase the plot of ground, formerly known as the ‘Stye Brae’, on which the present church stands. An increase in the size of the congregation made it necessary to replace the thatched dwelling-house that had originally been used as a meeting house. The first purpose-built meeting house was erected in 1787 and is the building that is recorded on the first edition OS map and in the Townland Valuation of the 1830s.

The ‘School and Meet[in]g Houses’ are captioned on the first edition of 1834 and are shown as a pair of buildings both rectangular on plan and parallel to each other. Dimensions of 55.6 feet by 30.6 feet are given for this early building in the Townland Valuation (1828-40). The designation 1B indicates that the building was slated and ‘slightly decayed’. Dimensions are also given for the sessions house and the buildings are valued at £6.17s with 4s7d for the associated land.

The rise of the United Irishmen caused a deep division in the congregation at Gilnahirk, the majority of whom supported the insurrection. The minister, a loyalist, felt compelled to leave and part of the congregation left to form a new meeting at Granshaw. Nevertheless the congregation flourished and in 1845 a new church was built, a photograph of which is carried in Miller’s history of the congregation. It was of a plain barn design, heated by two coke burning stoves. Some of the pews were of the box type and attached to the rear were the choir room and vestry, opening into the church through doors on either side of the pulpit. This building remains as the body of the church that was renovated in 1910.

On the second edition of 1858 the new and wider ‘Presbyterian Meeting Ho[use]’ is shown with the vestry addition to the rear. A ‘grave yard’ is also captioned. The dimensions of this later building are 57 feet by 42 feet and dimensions for the vestry, sessions house and outbuilding are also given. The new meeting house is given a valuation of £35 and 10s for land. No further changes are made in valuation records in the period up to 1930 despite the 1910 remodelling of the church.

In April 1910 the Irish Builder reported that Hobart and Heron had been appointed architects for ‘alterations and additions’ to the church at Gilnahirk and in May that Hewitt and Clark had successfully tendered to be the contractors. The cost was to be £3,600. As well as adding a tower, the ceiling, floor and seating were to be renewed. The buttressing to the corners was also added at this time. A contemporary report described the completed renovations on the re-opening of the church in December 1910, “The congregation with commendable unanimity and heartiness adopted a large scheme, with the result that everything inside the walls is new. The ceiling is of pitch pine, and is richly panelled, the seats are of the same material, capped with walnut, the same goods being used in the construction of the pulpit. The windows have been filled with leadlights. A somewhat novel feature in the alterations is the change from oil lamps to an incandescent light produced from gas formed from a combination of petrol and air.” (quoted in Miller)

In 1949 the gas lighting was replaced by electricity and the church was redecorated. It also appears that around this time pinnacles at the gable shoulders were removed. The use of instrumental music in the praise at public worship was often a subject of controversy for Presbyterians and it was not until 1952 that a small pedal organ began to be used in the church. In 1958 a Compton electronic organ was installed with necessitated alterations to the pulpit and choir-box. (Miller) In 1976 this was replaced with a new Abbey pipe organ and the vestry and choir room were renewed, providing an organ loft. The organ and new extension cost £42,000. (Miller; Campbell)

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/5/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
2.PRONI OS/6/3/5/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3.PRONI OS/6/3/5/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901-02
4.PRONI OS/6/3/5/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-20
5.PRONI OS/6/3/5/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-39
6.PRONI VAL/1/B/321 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/21 – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
8.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/6A-G – Annual Revisions (1863-1927)
9.Irish Builder Vol 52, 16th April 1910, p.253
10.Irish Builder Vol 52, 28th May 1910, p.349

Secondary Sources

1.Miller, H C “The Church on the Stye Brae, Gilnahirk Presbyterian Church 1787-1987” Belfast, 1987
2.Campbell, A “Gilnahirk, An Illustrated and Spoken history of Gilnahirk, East Belfast” Holywood, 2009
3.“Gilnahirk Presbyterian Church” Commemorative Service, 7th November 1937

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Gilnahirk Presbyterian Church is a symmetrical double-height rendered neo-Gothic Presbyterian Church, dated 1845 with two-stage entrance tower (1910) and later alterations; built on the site of an earlier church. The building retains some of its mid-nineteenth century character having a relatively well-preserved interior and unspoiled setting with mid-nineteenth century cemetery. However, the potential special architectural interest of the church has been diminished with the removal of detailing and the addition of a large modern extension to rear.