ST. JOHN'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large Gothic Revival Presbyterian church constructed in 1892 on a Latin cross plan with a tall tower surmounted by a spire and designed by the renowned local architect Vincent Craig, talented younger brother of Lord Craigavon. St John’s is built in two types of sandstone and is located at the junction of Knockbreda Road and the busy Ormeau Road in an otherwise residential area which developed towards the end of the nineteenth century when Belfast was spreading outwards along arterial routes.

Materials:
Walling: Scrabo sandstone with Locharbriggs sandstone dressings to openings and carvings
Roof: Natural Bangor blue slate
RWGoods: Painted cast metal
Windows: Generally leaded lights set within stone tracery – 3 windows to G07 are uPVC

Front elevation facing West has the main entrance door on the left at the base of a three stage square tower with a hexagonal intermediate stage surmounted by an octagonal tower. The intermediate stage is richly detailed with corner attached columns in Locharbriggs sandstone and the bell tower openings have decorated gablets. The spire has a continuous circle of gablets at high level and 4 lucarnes below.
The main entrance has deeply moulded jambs with a tympanum containing a winged dragon set on a ground of leaves and flowers. Above this is a triangular pediment with a carved inscription on a scroll – A DAY IN THY COURTS IS BETTER THAN A THOUSAND. The pediment has a foliate label stop on both sides but additionally on the left is a further carved winged dragon. To the immediate right of this door is a projecting stair tower with a ring of quatrefoil windows at the top. The West face of the nave has a large pointed arched window with decorated sandstone tracery and to the right of this is a secondary door - not as elaborately detailed as the main entrance.

The side elevation facing South has a projecting staircase at the West end and a transept close to the East end with a mono-pitched roof between, covering the South aisle. The staircase tower has a continuous band of cusped windows at first floor level – the aisle three pairs of lancet windows set between buttresses with smaller paired clerestory windows above. The transept has a large traceried window and beyond this are two further tall lancet windows
.
The East elevation is relatively plain with three sandstone stringcourses, three windows on the ground floor to G07 and G06; a chimney stack rising from the plane of the wall and a cusped circular window in the centre at high level. There is a single storey projecting on the left that wraps around the SE corner.

The North elevation is similar to the South except that there is a taller projection to the East of the transept that contains a staircase leading to the organ and choir loft.

Immediately in front of the West side of the church is a WW1 War Memorial - recorded separately HB26 01 001B. The West and North boundaries comprise a stepped sandstone dwarf wall with relatively simple wrought iron railings and gates. These sides of the church grounds are grassed with some shrubs with mature trees positioned in the adjoining footpaths. To the immediate East and within the church’s
setting is St John’s Memorial Hall, constructed in 1957 in red clay brick in a stripped classical style and connected to this is a complex of halls and offices, built on the site of the old manse and church - also predominantly built in clay brick and opened in 2007.

These ancillary buildings wrap around the SE corner of the site and in front of the new halls is an extensive tarmaced car park.

Historical information

The Newtownbreda Presbyterian congregation was established in 1842. Services were initially held in the Methodist church in Ballynafeigh, but by 1844 a new dedicated meeting house and manse had been established on the present site, and a new minister, Rev. Andrew Crawford, ordained.

By the early 1890s the suburbanisation of the surrounding area and subsequent increase in congregants lead to the building of the present church - ‘St. John’s’ - on a previously undeveloped site just north of the existing building.

Built to designs by Vincent Craig with Robert Corry the contractor, the foundation stone was laid on 4 April 1891 and the building opened for worship on 13 March 1892. In its report just prior to the opening, the Northern Whig described the new building as, ‘an architectural feature of the district. Its style is Gothic of the early English period. Scrabo stone, with red cut stone dressings, has been used in its construction. Being cruciform in shape, the structure is highly susceptible of effective treatment, which it has received to the most minute details. The width of the church at transept is 78 feet, and its length is 92 feet, the chancel being 13 feet long and 17 feet wide. The spire, which is situated at the north-east corner, will, when finished, be 150 foot high. The building will accommodate 500 persons on ground floor, 60 in the gallery, and 40 in the choir. There are two entrances in the front facing Ormeau Road, each which is provided with double swing doors, to prevent possibility of draughts. There is also an entrance on the north side from the Knockbreda Road. The buildings at the rear comprise a session-room 20 feet square, vestry, space for organ bellows and motor, in addition to ladies' room, lavatory, and accommodation for heating apparatus. In the work of the interior, solidity and tasteful treatment have been combined. The columns are of cut stone, with moulded caps and spring arcade, arches dividing nave and side aisles, while the transept and chancel arches are of the same material. Running above the level of the side aisles there is a row of clerestory windows, which afford ample light and ventilation, and the woodwork which is of selected pitch-pine, handsomely polished. The same material was used in sheeting the ceiling, which has been so devised that the constructional timbers are exposed to view. The most approved system of seating has been adopted — viz., open benches, with reclining backs, arranged on the square. The church is heated by Musgrave’s high pressure system, which works very effectively. An artistic feature the new edifice consists two chaste ornamental windows - one in front and one in the spire gable. These windows, which are very handsome, have been supplied by Messrs. Carlisle A Wilson, of North Street, and the plumbing and gas fitting have been carried out Mr. John Dowling, King Street. The organ has been enlarged by Messrs. P. Conagher Co., Huddersfield, and to it a very neat hydraulic engine has been attached. We may add that cost of the church will be about £6,000. The members of congregation have subscribed £2,000, and since then they have received additional £1,600 from friends, making a total of £3,500. The remaining liabilities amount to £2,500, but it is hoped that the enterprise and liberality of the congregation in rearing this church in such rapidly increasing district will be duly recognised, and that they will receive the cordial sympathy and hearty support of the members of the Presbyterian Church.’

Upon the completion of the new church, the old meeting house (a gable-fronted vaguely Lombardic style building with a campanile to its southeastern corner) was converted to a hall. In 1957 a new freestanding hall (‘St. John’s Memorial Hall’) was constructed to the rear of the church, and following the demolition of the older hall and manse (which stood to northeast of the latter) in 1967, a new minor hall extension and car park were added to the site. Further extensions were added to this in 2007.

The war memorial in the lawn to the front of the church was unveiled and dedicated on 1 May 1922. [See separate record HB26.01.001B.]

References – Primary sources
1 OS maps, 1858, 1896, 1902, 1919, 1931, 1956, 1967
2 Marcus Ward’s ‘Shilling Map of Belfast’, 1879
3 ‘Northern Whig’, 11 March 1892, 1 May 1922, 21 September 1933

Secondary sources
1 Royle, Stephen A., ‘Irish Historic Towns Atlas No.17 – Belfast, Part II, 1840 to 1900’ (Irish Royal Academy, 2007)
2 Historical notes and photos supplied by Newtownbreda Presbyterian Church [also available online at www.newtownbreda.org ]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Impressive Gothic Revival Presbyterian church constructed in 1892 in sandstone with a tall tower surmounted by a spire and designed by the renowned local architect Vincent Craig, talented younger brother of Lord Craigavon. It is located at the junction of Knockbreda Road and the busy Ormeau Road. The church is characterised by very fine detailing, both internally an externally, particularly around the main entrance door and on the tall octagonal spire where the architect has included high quality carvings of animals and flowers. These are also in evidence in the nave arcades. The church is well proportioned and is of architectural significance but also of historical interest to the local community. Its interest if further enhanced by its prominent setting in a mainly residential area and by its boundary walling, gates and railings. It has group value with the listed War Memorial within its grounds HB26 01 001B and also has a connection to the listed Rosetta Primary School HB 26 01 060 as the church’s second minister, Rev Robert Workman, played a key role in its construction in 1867.

General comments

This record has been re-numbered and was previously HB26/01/001.