St. Judes Parish Church of Ireland Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical-fronted red-brick Parish Hall built c.1935 to designs by R.H. Gibson in a blend of the Lombardic and Art-Deco styles; located to the west side of Ravenhill Road between St Jude’s Crescent and St Jude’s Avenue. T-shaped plan comprising two-storey central block with lower side blocks; entrance bay abutted by slightly projecting porch to front and single-storey projecting blocks to north and south. Projecting porch is a later addition (c.1940) also to designs by Gibson.

Pantiled pitched roof with raised gables and overhanging timber-sheeted eaves on exposed rafter ends; tall red-brick chimneystacks with gabled pantiled tops. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods with cast-iron hopper and downpipes. Walling is stretcher-bonded red-brick with header-course to sill level at ground floor. Small metal-framed windows to ground floor; round-headed slender multi-paned paired windows to first floor (unless otherwise stated), brick reveals and voussoirs and tiled sills.

The principal elevation faces east, dominated by a central round-headed casement window to entrance bay in decorative tiled triple recess on corbelled brick apron having central diamond motif in brick. Ground floor has slightly projecting porch comprising original double-leaf Art-Deco-style panelled timber door, in masonry panelled recess with brick surround. Porch is accessed via a set of three masonry steps with modern metal handrails.

The south elevation has slightly projecting bay at left, with two windows to attic level, two to first floor and two square-headed windows to ground floor. Right bay is four sets of paired windows wide; ground floor has two blind windows at left. To far right is the single-storey projecting block with paired windows and decorative wrought-iron Art-Deco grilles to east and south elevation.

The rear (west) gable has central breakfront; oculus to gable and two sets of paired windows to each floor, including attic level. To either side are slender double-height blind openings; square-headed windows beneath to ground floor (that to right is blind).

The north elevation mirrors the south elevation; also having projecting porch to right at ground floor, abutting exposed section of projecting bay. Porch contains original Art-Deco style timber-panelled door in masonry panelled recess (as at main entrance), accessed by four modern masonry steps with modern metal handrail (incorporating disabled ramp access at right).

Setting:

Prominently situated in a mainly residential area, surrounded by semi-detached and terrace housing dating mainly from the early part of the twentieth-century, facing the grounds of St Joseph’s College. Set back from the street with a small lawned area and paved pathway to front, enclosed to all sides by hedgerow. To front and north are original wrought-iron gates with Art-Deco motifs.

Roof: Pantiled
Walling: Stretcher-bonded red-brick
Windows: Variety of timber-framed casements
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The Canon Davis Memorial Hall was erected in 1933/4 to the memory of Rector Canon Davis who had been incumbent of Ballynafeigh for 31 years from 1886 to 1917 and was highly regarded within the parish. A site was acquired in 1922 to the north of Florenceville Drive, but this was eventually rejected as too narrow. A further site was identified, opposite the first, and Blackwood & Jury were appointed architects but in drawing up their design it was found that the site was not big enough ‘to admit of a suitable edifice owing to Corporation regulations and the need for light and air’. R H Gibson was then asked to report on a number of different sites and on his recommendation the current site in Ravenhill Road was chosen. Gibson drew up several possible plans for the hall, initially proposing to build it in two sections, only the lower storey to be built immediately. Eventually it was decided that it would be more convenient and economical to build the whole structure at once. Messrs William Dowling were the contractors and work began in July 1933. The hall was opened by the then Governor of Northern Ireland, the Duke of Abercorn, in March 1934. (Opening Ceremony of St Jude’s Parochial Hall)

The hall was constructed of Co Tyrone rustic brick and could accommodate 5-600 people. The cost was £5,600. In 1938 the building was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Ulster Medal for the best public building erected in the Province over a period of three years. (McCarter; ww.dia.ie) The church history notes that the hall provided two courts for badminton and ‘was greatly admired by visitors throughout the Northern dioceses’. (McCarter)

The hall is first shown on the seventh edition OS map of 1938 and was entered into Annual Revisions in 1935 at a valuation of £69. (Annual Revisions)

The doorway was later brought out to form a front porch, also designed by Gibson, in 1940. (Larmour)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/4/7 – Seventh Edition OS Map 1938
2. PRONI VAL/12/F/3/7/3 – Annual Revisions (1930-35)

Secondary Sources

1. Larmour, P “Belfast, An Illustrated Architectural Guide” Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1987
2. McCarter, N “St Jude’s Parish Church, Ballynafeigh – A Record of the First Hundred Years”
3. “Opening Ceremony of St Jude’s Parochial Hall” Belfast: W & G Baird, 1934

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

An attractive symmetrical-fronted red-brick Parish Hall; built c.1935 to designs by R.H. Gibson in a blend of the Lombardic and Art-Deco styles; located to the west side of Ravenhill Road between St Jude’s Crescent and St Jude’s Avenue. Awarded the RIBA prize in 1935, this is a particularly assured, and fairly uncommon, example of the synthesis between the Lombardic and Art-Deco styles by a local architect. In continuous use by the Church of Ireland, it is a rare twentieth-century example as the majority of Parish Halls tend to be earlier in date. Architectural detailing is largely intact housing a well-preserved interior with good Art-Deco-style detailing. The setting is unspoiled and relatively unchanged since the 1930s and the hall makes a significant contribution to the architectural character of the area. There is group value with St Jude’s Parish Church (HB26/02/005A). Of distinctive quality and character, the hall is an important local landmark with local interest and considerable social importance.

General comments

Renumbered from HB26/02/004. Now part of St. Judes Parish Church group.