Alexandra Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A gabled double-height red brick church in Gothic Revival style, dating from 1895-97 to designs by the local architects Young & Mackenzie. Rectangular plan form laid to E-W axis with a three-stage tower to SE, a two-storey gabled hall to W dating from 1928 and single and two-storey flat-roofed extensions to NW. The church is located to the corner of York Road and Castleton Street.

Pitched natural slate roof with angled black-clay tiles and projecting eaves. uPVC ogee guttering discharging to circular downpipes. Red brick walling laid to English garden wall bond with red sandstone dressings.

Principal elevation:
The principal elevation faces E.

Double-height gabled elevation to centre with paired Tudor-arched door openings to GF having engaged stone columns with floriated capitals supporting stone Tudor arches and moulded hoods. Double-leaf square-headed glazed sheeted timber doors opening to a raised platform with stone steps having painted metal balustrade. Large perpendicular five-part tracery window to FF with stone dressings having stained leaded glazing and continuous hood mould. String course at cill level with decorative band of terracotta detailing.

Square-plan three-stage tower to S end with three-stage diagonal buttresses. Tudor-arched two-part trefoil window to first stage with splayed stone cill and moulded hood. Small lancet windows to second stage, two recessed two-part pointed-arch windows to third stage. The tower is topped by a battlemented parapet and pinnacles to hexagonal turrets on all four corners.

Two-storey bay to N end with single stage diagonal buttresses. Two round-arched windows with stained leaded glazing to GF and a single trefoil window to FF, all with splayed stone cills.

South elevation:
The S elevation consists of the tower to E end, the double-height five-bay wide elevation of the S aisle and the two-storey gabled Hall to W.

Square-plan three-stage tower to E with three-stage diagonal buttresses. Tudor-arched two-part trefoil window to first stage with splayed stone cill and moulded hood. Small lancet windows to second stage, two recessed two-part pointed-arch windows to third stage. The tower is topped by a battlemented parapet with stone pinnacles to hexagonal turrets at each corner.

Pointed arch windows to aisle having splayed stone cills and replacement uPVC casement windows with stained leaded glazing. Continuous moulded hood and decorated terracotta band below the eaves. The bays are separated by shallow pilasters and single stage buttresses.

Projecting two-storey three-bay wide gabled elevation to W, with raised stone verges, shallow projection to centre with a segmental headed door opening having artificial stone dressings and a double-leaf modern timber sheeted door with fanlight. Artificial stone dentilled band above. A pointed arch shallow recess to FF has three lancet windows, herringbone brick detailing over windows and brick hood mould. Bronze raised lettering on shallow projecting stone band above and circular shallow recess at high level to gable. Circular shallow recess to GF to outer bays and pointed arch window with artificial stone cills. Memorial stones built into red brick walling at low level.

West elevation:
Two-storey seven bay elevation. Bay to S has a lancet windows and raised parapet. Remaining bays have square headed window openings with projecting stone cills and flush stone lintels having uPVC casement windows. Flat roof to end bay to N.

North elevation:
The N elevation consists of a two-storey flat roofed extension to W, the recessed double-height four-bay wide N aisle, abutted to N by a single storey flat roofed extension, and a projecting two-storey gable to S.

Square headed openings to extension.

Pointed arch windows to aisle having splayed stone cills and replacement uPVC casement windows with stained leaded glazing. Continuous moulded hood and decorated terracotta band below the eaves. The bays are separated by shallow pilasters and single stage buttresses.

Round-arched window openings with splayed stone cills to gable and angled single-stage buttresses.

Setting:
The church is located on a narrow site to the corner of York Road and Castleton Street. Tarmaced and paved, the site is enclosed by modern red brick walling to E and S with artificial stone coping topped by metal railings with pike heads. Double metal gate to E supported on metal standards and rectangular section red brick piers. A smaller double gate to NW and a single gate to S supported on rectangular section red brick piers. Metal fencing to W.

Materials:

Roof : pitched natural slate roof
RWG : uPVC
Walling : red brick laid to English garden bond
Windows : stained leaded glazing/ uPVC casements

Historical information

Alexandra Presbyterian Church, a late-Victorian red brick gothic-style church located on the York Road, was constructed in 1895-97. The Presbyterian Historical Society in Ireland notes that the congregation was formed by the General Assembly in 1892 (Belfast’s 54th Presbyterian congregation), was originally known as Castleton and met in an Iron Hall (a corrugated iron temporary church hall) that was located on the site of the current Knowles Memorial Hall. The current church was designed by Young & McKenzie, a Belfast-based architectural partnership formed between Robert Young and John McKenzie in c. 1867. The Dictionary of Irish Architects described the firm as ‘the most successful architectural practice in Belfast [which] had become the leading architects for the Presbyterian Church in the North-East and had also received some of the most important commercial commissions in the city’ (PHS; DIA)

The memorial stone was laid on 12th May 1895 and the church was completed in 1897. The Presbyterian Historical Society notes that the church was ‘designed in 15th century Gothic style, constructed with quality Belfast Red perforated brick with dressings of red sandstone and roofed with Bangor blue slates.’ When it was first constructed Castleton Presbyterian Church’s tower possessed a spire that reached 125ft in height (demolished in 1941). Thomas McMillan of Ormeau Avenue was the builder contracted to erect the church. The Annual Revisions set the value of Castleton Presbyterian Church at £169. The third edition Ordnance Survey map (1901-02) depicted the building along its current layout and noted that the church did not possess its current hall at that time. The red brick church hall located to the rear of the church was constructed in 1928 and was named the Knowles Memorial Hall to commemorate the Rev. James Knowles, Castleton’s first minister. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of the church and its hall was adjusted to £270 (PHS).

The church was renamed Alexandra Presbyterian Church as a direct result of the Belfast Blitz. In April and May 1941 the York Road area was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe and Castleton Presbyterian Church received a direct hit. The original church spire became unstable and was subsequently demolished. On 1st January 1942 Castleton merged with the congregation of York Street Presbyterian Church to form Alexandra Presbyterian Church. The church on York Street, originally constructed in 1839 and designed in a classical style (possessing a pediment supported on four Doric columns) was completely destroyed as a result of the bombing. The new merger congregation held services in the Knowles Memorial Hall until the repaired church was reopened on 11TH June 1944. As part of the restoration the demolished spire was replaced with the four turrets at the corner of the tower. The current communion table was added in the late-1940s whilst the church organ was added in 1952. In the aftermath of the conflict the tracery windows (located above the main entrance) was converted into a War Memorial window (dedicated to members of the congregation who had died in both the First and Second World Wars) which was unveiled on 19th September 1954. The Knowles Memorial Hall was reopened in 1966 after a major renovation that modernised the facility. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of the church and its hall had been increased to £900 (PHS).

Alexandra Presbyterian Church was badly damaged when a bomb exploded outside the building in 1976. The church was subsequently repaired and recently underwent a major renovation in 2005 that cost £250,000 and included the installation of stained glass windows dedicated to the congregation’s Girl Guide and Boy’s Brigade. Kirkpatrick states that the congregation of Alexandra Presbyterian Church currently stands at approximately 350 families (PHS; Kirkpatrick, p. 149).

References

Primary Sources
1. Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland– Alexandra Presbyterian Church File
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/H/1-7 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
6. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/12 - First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-72)
7. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/16 - Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
8. Ulster Town Directories (1880-1943)

Secondary Sources
1. Baillie, W. D., ‘A history of congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland: 1610-1982’ Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society, 1982.
2. Kirkpatrick, L., ‘Presbyterians in Ireland: An illustrated history’ Booklink, 2006.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects website - www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A gabled double-height red brick church in Gothic Revival style, dating from 1895-97 to designs by architects Young & Mackenzie, located on a prominent site at the corner of York Road and Castleton Street.
Originally of a rectangular plan form, with a tower to front, the church has undergone some transformations. The front elevation and church spire were severely damaged during the Belfast Blitz and were rebuilt soon after to a revised design.
The main body of the church is similar to McQuiston Presbyterian (listed under HB26.05.008) which dates from the same period and is also by Young & Mackenzie. Although interesting there are better examples of this building type listed and it is not consdiered of special interest.