Old School House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, two to two and a half-storey detached hall, built in 1876-78 as a school, lecture hall and sexton's house for the neighbouring contemporary Presbyterian church (HB26/50/169). Designed, along with the church, by Young and McKenzie, it matches the parent building in terms of materials, but has a less decorative, but typically high Victorian manse appearance. The school closed in c.1925 and the building is now in use as a library, lecture hall, offices and a number of meeting rooms.

The hall is long and narrow and set on a north-south axis. It is basically rectangular in plan but with a single-storey gabled porch projection at the north end, a large two-storey gabled stairwell projection to the north-east and a part-two/part single-storey one to the south which contains another stairwell and a boiler house. The integral (former) sexton's dwelling forms the northernmost quarter of the whole building and is two and a half-storey (with a symmetrical front façade), whilst the former school and lecture halls are two-storey.

The east and north walls are rock-faced Scrabo sandstone (with bevelled plinth), with the south and the remainder largely brick. There is a small feature hip to the east front, but otherwise the roof is simply pitched and covered with natural slate. The ridge tiles are red fire clay with a Cock’s Comb embellishment and fire-clay finials. Rainwater goods are mainly replacement uPVC. Eaves overhang with exposed rafter tails. Set to the main ridge is a much eroded stone chimneystack. Stone wall areas have various smooth string courses. That to the ground floor intersects with window imposts while those to first floor integrates the window sills.

Window openings are regularly arranged; these are mainly semi-circular headed, however, all ground floor openings to the north side of the hall and some to the south ground floor and some smaller openings are flat-headed. Frames are generally 2/2 timber sash but some sashes have been replaced with single panes. Sills are all cut stone. Lintels include radial brick and stone arches and flat brick arches.

To the front (north) façade is the central single-storey gabled porch, to either side of which there is a window. To the first floor there are three similar windows while to the second floor there are a further three, smaller but similar, closely-grouped openings. There is a slit, flat-headed window opening to the south cheek.

To the right side of the east façade is the gabled two-storey stairwell; to the far left the front face of the rear projection is flush with the main east façade. There is one triple arrangement of window openings to the first floor of the second projection and one paired arrangement to the first floor of the southern projection, otherwise window and door openings are quite regularly arranged and include flat-headed semi-circular headed examples as before. There are three semi-circular-headed door openings, each with a sheeted timber door.

The south is largely covered by the rear projection, and its façade could only be viewed obliquely. To the left side of the first floor there is one semi-circular-headed window as before. Walls rise to a gable with parapet and stone skews.

There are two projecting chimneybreasts to the ‘third’ points of the west façade (chimneystacks removed). Windows are quite regularly arranged, however, some ground floor openings are paired.

Setting

The hall is located to the immediate rear (west) of the church itself, with the whole ensemble set on the corner of Townsend Street and Cargill Street, in a mixed inner city area of housing, light industrial units, and, to the east, the Divis Street cutting of the Westlink by-pass. A narrow alleyway separates the church from its neighbour and to the south the hall abuts some neighbouring buildings.

Historical information

This former lecture hall, school house and sexton's residence was built in 1876-78 as part of the new Townsend Street Presbyterian Church. This church, which replaced smaller Classical style one of 1833, was designed by architects Young & MacKenzie with William McCammond of Antrim Road, Belfast, the builder, and the cost of the whole amounting to around £10,000.* The school was opened on 21 September 1878 with church following shortly after on 13 October. The school itself is believed to have ceased in c.1925 and the building subsequently used as a church hall and offices.

*A 190ft spire was intended to be added to the (north-eastern) stair tower of the church at a later date, but this was not followed through.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI, D2194/29/2 p.275 Young & Mackenzie papers Cost book, c.1861-c.1870s
2 BELB ‘Belfast New Letter’, 30 Sep 1878

Secondary sources
1 McCaw, James, ‘Townsend Street Presbyterian Church, Belfast, 1833-1933, (Belfast, 1933)
2 Brett, C.E.B., ‘Buildings of Belfast’, (2nd ed., Belfast, 1985), 51
3 Larmour, Paul, ‘Belfast- An Illustrated Architectural Guide’, (Belfast, 1987), p.46
4 PRONI CR3/27/1 History of Townsend Street Presbyterian Church, 1833-1983

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Large, two to two and a half-storey detached hall, built in 1876-78 as a school, lecture hall and sexton's house for the neighbouring contemporary Presbyterian church (HB26/50/169). Designed, along with the church, by Young and McKenzie, this building is a noteworthy and relatively unusual piece of 1870s architecture in its own right. Its form and detailing survive in virtually original condition and its interest is reinforced by its relationship to the contemporary church and the two make an imposing group.