St James C.O.I Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey Gothic Revival style former national schoolhouse, built in 1872 to designs by William Henry Lynn of 'Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon'. Irregular plan form facing E to Antrim Road consisting of two story block aligned N-S and gabled block with lower eaves and ridge projecting to E; projecting three stage square tower abutted to NE where blocks meet. Two storey block has attached seven bay rectangular extension to N, built in 1957 to designs by local architect E. P. Lamont. At this time the building was converted into a church hall for the neighbouring St James' COI (HB26.42.002 A). The former school is situated between the Antrim and Cliftonville Roads on a triangular site which is bound by stone walling and iron railings, shared with St James' Church of Ireland.

Pitched natural slate roof has angled black clay ridge tiles, moulded sandstone kneelers and raised stone verges to gables. Square tower has metal cross finial to slated pyramidal roof. Original cast iron ogee guttering, set on continuous stone corbel, discharging to square section cast iron downpipes. Pitched concrete tile roof to 1957 extension having cast metal ogee guttering with rectangular hoppers, discharging to square section downpipes.

Windows are a mixture of pointed-arch and square-headed openings having chamfered cills and surrounds which house fixed window lights (some with openings) having clear leaded glass composed of small vertical rectangular panes (unless otherwise stated). Wire mesh fitted to GF windows. Walling is of rock-faced random-coursed pink sandstone with smooth sandstone dressings. Extension has reconstituted stone walling of a similar colour with smooth reconstituted stone dressings.

Principal elevation
The front elevation faces E towards the Antrim Road and has a single bay projecting gabled bay to SE with full height pointed arch opening having three light pointed arch tracery window to top centre of gable, separated from similar square-headed window below by smooth dressed sandstone spandrel with moulded rectangular panels. Continuous window mullions shared by both windows. Two storey gabled block set behind three stage tower at meeting point. Seven bay extension attached to N of two storey block. Tower has tripartite pointed arch openings with timber louvers at belfry, to third stage; a larger single glazed pointed arch opening below sits between second and first stages with smaller square headed window at first stage level. Each stage of the tower is defined by a horizontal moulded sandstone string course. Plinth course to original building is of smooth dressed sandstone which continues at the same level to N extension where it is of smooth finished reconstituted stone. Extension block has seven bays having double square-headed fixed light windows with leaded glazing and transom set to top third of window; first and last bays are abutted to the E by small rectangular flat roofed projections. Flat roof projection to SE abuts tower and has three-part square headed replacement uPVC casement windows; flat roofed block to NE has a two-part square-headed fixed light window and a set of five concrete steps which lead to a bricked up doorway on E facade. Window of second bay from right is shorter than principal windows having two leaf diagonally boarded timber doors below opening onto two concrete splayed steps.

Northern elevation
Tower has three pointed arch timber louvered openings to belfry, and single pointed arch window to second stage. First stage is attached to small projecting block of 1957 extension. Two square headed panels of blind arcading link tower with gabled two storey block to rear W, double square-headed window below to first stage looks onto gable of 1957 extension which is abutted to N end of slightly projecting two storey block. 1957 extension projects from two storey gable of original school building and abuts terrace housing to N which continues along the Antrim Road.

Western elevation
No access to view western elevation which is obscured by site boundary and modern school buildings to W. Small square section chimney with single pot to original two storey block. Two storey block is abutted on SW by smaller gabled porch.

Southern elevation
Gabled two storey block has three-part pointed-arch tracery window to FF set on moulded sandstone string course; two bipartite pointed arch windows set in pointed trefoil relieving arches to GF. Projection to E has pointed arch opening, to west, with recessed porch housing polished timber door behind metal screen; quatrefoil window above doorway and double pointed arch window to centre of block. Tower rises above E block with three-part pointed arch timber louvered openings visible to third stage. Projecting gabled entrance porch with hipped roof attached to W of two storey block has smaller pointed segmental arch doorway with metalwork screen and later stone built block with square-headed door opening extending to W.

Setting
The school is located in grounds shared with St James' Church of Ireland (HB26/42/002A) to the N of the junction between the Cliftonville and Antrim roads; a triangular piece of land bound by dwarf sandstone walling topped by wrought iron railings between square section pillars with roll top coping. Walling is of random-coursed rock-faced sandstone with smooth-faced sandstone dressings. Mature trees to boundary of interior
setting with area to S set to lawn divided by wide tarmaced path linking gates on Cliftonville Road to gates on Antrim Road. A second set of gates on Antrim road provides main access to school via tarmaced area to N of church. Boundary walling continues N along Antrim Road with pedestrian gate to front of former national school.

Roof: Natural slate with concrete tiles to extension
RWGs: Cast metal
Walling: Rock-faced random-course pink sandstone
Windows: Fixed leaded clear glass composed of small horizontal rectangular panes, some uPVC casement to extension

Historical information

St. James’s Church Hall, a sandstone Gothic Revival style church hall located at the corner of the Antrim and Cliftonville Roads, was constructed in 1872. St. James’s Church of Ireland had been constructed in 1869-71 to designs by William Henry Lynn (1829-1915), a local architect who had entered into partnership with Sir. Charles Lanyon in 1854 to form Lanyon & Lynn. The foundation stone of the new church was laid on 11th September 1869 with McLaughlin & Harvey contracted as builders. The completed church was consecrated on 2nd March 1871. The church hall, located to the north side of the church, was originally utilised as a national schoolhouse and was known as St. James Schools. The hall was also designed by Lynn and was constructed in 1872. The Annual Revisions set the total rateable value of the church and its hall at £450 in that year (DIA; Costecalde and Walker). By the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of the church had been increased to £575 with the adjoining school valued at £84.

The hall continued to be used as a schoolhouse until the Second World War when it and St. James’s Church of Ireland were severely damaged during the bombing of Belfast by the Luftwaffe on 15th April 1941. Falling incendiary bombs reduced the church to a shell with only the tower, steeple and belfry of the original building remaining intact. The reconstruction of the church was carried out between 1946 and 1954 to designs by Richard Mills Close (1880-1949) (DIA). The restored church was consecrated on 11th September 1954 and was subsequently revalued at £875 under the First General Revaluation. The damaged schoolhouse was not restored until 1957 when the building was extended and converted into a parish hall to designs by E. P. Lamont, a local architect whom the Dictionary of Irish Architects notes was active between the 1930s and 1960s. By the end of the Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72) the value of the church and its church hall had been raised to £1,880.

According to St James' Select Vestry, the large hall to the N is not the original 'hall'. Its predecessor was designed by Robert Young of Young and Mackenzie and was opened in 1939. The present hall, completed in 1958, is larger than the original and takes in the site of houses destroyed by the 1941 bombing.

St. James’s Church of Ireland was listed in 1987 and continued to be utilised as an Anglican house of worship until 2007 when the decision was made to close and deconsecrate the church. During the Northern Ireland Troubles the congregation of the church had dwindled as many parishioners moved out of the area. On 29th June 2008 St. James’s Church was closed and merged with the congregation of St. Peter’s Church of Ireland (also located on the Antrim Road) to form the Parish of St. Peter and St. James (Costecalde and Walker; Parish of St. Peter and St. James website). Field inspection of the site has found that the former school and adjoining hall were utilised by the congregation of the Antiochian Orthodox Church and the Indian Christian Community at the time of the Second Survey.

Resources

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1858)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1901-02)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1931)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1938)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/1-25 – Annual Revisions (1860-1905)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/F/4-7 – Annual Revisions (1905-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/3 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/5 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
9. Ulster Town Directories (1868-1943)
10. First Survey Record – HB26/42/002 (No Date)
11. NIEA HB Records – HB26/42/002

Secondary Sources
1. Baker, J., ‘Belfast in the 1950s: A photographic record’ Belfast: Glenravel Local History Project, 2009.
2. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of Belfast: 1700-1914’ Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1985.
3. Costecalde, C; Walker, B., ‘The Church of Ireland: An illustrated history’ Belfast: Booklink, 2013.
4. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1987.
5. St James's Select Vestry - Booklet entitled 'A History of St James' Church Belfast'.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie
2. Natural Stone Database - http://www.stonedatabase.com//buildings.cfm?bk=2608
3. Parish of St. Peter and St. James website - http://www.stpeters.connor.anglican.org/st-peters/

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

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

Evaluation

A Gothic Revival sandstone former national school built in 1872 to designs by William Henry Lynn of the prominent architectural firm 'Lanyon, Lynn & Lanyon', later converted into use as a church hall being extended to the N and NW in 1957 to designs by local architect E. P. Lamont. Church and school both have an interesting history being damaged in 1941 by German bombings. Irregular plan form, with projecting gable and square tower to E and two storey gabled block to rear (W). Situated on a prominent site at the junction between the Antrim and Cliftonville Roads the school retains much of it original character and style. The principal elevation faces E although each side of the building is multi-facetted, which in tandem with the compact plan and well articulated form provides for an interesting well-proportioned building with local historical importance. Sustained use by both the Greek Orthodox and Indian Christian communities ensure its social significance. The former school sits alongside St James’ Church and the whole complex is enclosed by dressed sandstone walling, pillars and ornate cast iron railings and gates that add distinction to the group.

General comments

Previously HB26/42/002