Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB01/09/004

Address :
Waterside Presbyterian Church Clooney Terrace Londonderry Co. Londonderry

Townland:
Clooney

---

Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
26/02/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Church

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

---

OS Map No:
36-8NW

IG Ref:
C4416 1646

---

Owner Category

Church - Presbyterian

Exterior Description And Setting

Waterside Presbyterian Church is a detached double-height over basement gable-fronted stone church with spire, built 1864-1866 to designs by William Hague. A substantial Gothic Revival church with three-stage tower and spire to southeast and north and south transepts added c.1925. T-shaped on plan facing east and set back slightly on the west side of Clooney Terrace on a sloping site. Pitched natural slate roof with black clay ridgecomb tiles, lead valleys and set behind slightly raised gables with sandstone coping and corbelled kneelers. The transepts have decorative copper ventilation lanterns to the apex. Moulded cast-iron guttering supporting on sandstone corbels with square and round profile cast-iron downpipes. Random coursed schist walling with sandstone ashlar dressings including quoins, window and door surrounds, stepped buttresses to the naves and angle buttresses to the front and rear gables and to the tower. Windows are generally paired lancets set in sandstone plate tracery with quatrefoils over and leaded coloured glazing unless otherwise noted. Front (east) elevation comprises a full-height gable and three-stage square-plan tower with broached spire to the south and single-storey gabled projection to the north. The sandstone ashlar spire is surmounted by a wrought-iron finial and set on a corbelled course. The upper (bell) stage has clasping buttresses surmounted by engaged colonettes at corners and paired lancets with timber louvres separated by single colonettes to each face. The middle-stage has angle-buttresses framing each exposed elevation with a single lancet to the lower section and triple lancets above to the east and south elevations only. The lower stage has a single lancet window to the front elevation only. The gable is framed to the north by an angle-buttress rising to gablets and a tapered finial. The gable has a double-height sandstone plate tracery window housing three lancets topped by a cusped roundel and eight radiating occuli and a pair of quatrefoils all framed by a hood moulding. The principal entrance comprises two shouldered door openings with latticed blind gothic-arched tympana set within a gothic-arched compound sandstone recess with engaged colonettes having stiff-leaf capitals. Vertically-sheeted woodgrained timber doors with iron door furniture open onto a raised stone-paved platform (inserted c.2000). The gothic-arched recess is flanked by single lancets with hood mouldings. Single-storey over basement side (south) elevation has three bays to nave flanked to left by a two-storey transept and to right by the tower. Each bay to nave is framed by stepped buttresses with tripartite shouldered window openings to basement level having fixed-pane steel windows surmounted by paired lancets set in sandstone plate tracery with quatrefoils over and leaded coloured glazing. The east face of the transept has a Tudor-arched carriage arch to left with iron gates, a shouldered opening to right and a central window opening above. The south gable has diagonal buttresses framing two paired lancets and a plate tracery cusped roundel window to the apex. The west face of the transept has a Tudor-arched carriage arch to right, a paired shouldered window opening to left and a central window opening above. Gabled rear (west) elevation has angled buttresses and a central three-sided canted chancel with nibs having lozenge tracery lights at high level to each face each having three trefoil openings. There is a blind shouldered opening to the west face at ground floor level and a paired shouldered window opening to basement level. Canted face to right has a diminutive square headed opening to basement level. Canted face to left is abutted by a canted projection that extends to ground floor ceiling level. The chancel is flanked at ground floor level by single gothic-arched windows with stained glass. Paired shouldered window opening to right at basement level with steel window and security grill. A modern single -storey flat roofed extension abuts to the left. Single-storey over basement side (north) elevation has two bays to nave to left and a two-storey transept to far right with a two-storey stairwell projection between. Each bay to nave is framed by stepped buttresses with basement level abutted by a flat roofed extension and surmounted by paired lancets set in sandstone plate tracery with quatrefoils over and leaded coloured glazing. A flight of stone steps provides access to the basement area. The east face of the transept is abutted by the single-storey flat roofed extension to basement level and the stairwell projection to left; exposed section has a central window opening. The south gable was not viewed at time of survey. The west face of the transept is abutted by a modern flat roofed single-storey extension and has a paired shouldered window opening to right at basement level and a central window opening above. Setting: Located on an elevated sloping site and set back slightly on the west side of Clooney Terrace enclosed by schist walls with saddleback stone coping surmounted by decorative cast-iron railings with matching gates hung on decorative octagonal cast-iron piers, one pair to the principal entrance and a further pair to the south providing vehicular access along the south nave to a rear bitmac parking area. Materials: Roof Natural slate RWG Cast-iron Walling Random coursed schist / sandstone ashlar Windows Leaded coloured glazing / steel casement / leaded stained glass

Architects

Historical Information

The need for a new Presbyterian congregation on the Waterside of Derry was a reflection of the growing population on the east side of the Foyle by the middle of the nineteenth century and was given added urgency by the local impact of the 1859 religious revival. On 25 November 1861 a meeting was held in the News Room, Waterside, to discuss the formation of a new congregation. Several sites were offered and that selected was a garden site at Crossroads, Waterside. The site was purchased from a Mr Sweeney for £150, with another £50 offered as compensation to the sitting tenant, Mr O. Kelly. A ‘large and influential’ Building Committee was formed which met in the Bible Depository in Pump Street and also in the office of William Tillie, the prominent Derry shirt manufacturer. Adverts inviting tenders for plans of the new building were issued in Derry, Belfast, Glasgow and Dublin. The winner was William Hague junior of Dublin who was awarded a premium of £20. Unsuccessful entrants included the runner-up, Alfred John Adams, whose design was exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1864. John Guy Ferguson was appointed to supervise the construction of the building and paid a fee of £40. Alexander McElwee was awarded the tender for constructing the new church at £2,750. The foundation stone was laid on 12 August 1864 in the presence of the Deputy Governor of The Honourable The Irish Society. The new building was formally opened on Sunday, 4 March 1866 when the first service was conducted by the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Dr David Wilson of Limerick. The first minister of the new congregation, Rev. Thomas Croskery was installed on 20 March 1866. A gallery was added by the firm Colhoun Bros in 1878 (tender £139). At the same time, the glass in the windows was replaced by diamond glass. The increase in the numbers attending the church resulted in plans being drawn to enlarge the building. These were approved in March 1924. The works included the construction of two transepts, each of which would provide an additional 85 sittings. The windows would be built of cut stone with windows of the same design as those in the existing structure. The transepts would be separated from the main body of the church by Gothic arches. There would be a wood ceiling to the transepts with ornamental hammer-beam roof trusses. The entrance door would be placed in the north transept which would be reached by a concrete gangway. The interior of the church was also completely overhauled at this time. New windows of a Gothic design with leaded lights were placed in the church. Electric lighting was installed. The main building contract was the work of Messrs Crawford and Eakin, Magazine. The total cost of the works came to £6,655. The church reopened on 11 October 1924. Sources Primary sources 1. PRONI, D2194/36/10, Specifications of works for Waterside Presbyterian Church, 1863 2. Belfast Newsletter, 15 Aug. 1864 and 7 March 1866. 3. PRONI, Ordnance Survey map, 1933, OS/6/5/14/4 4. PRONI, Ordnance Survey map, 1954, OS/6/5/14/5 5. PRONI, Ordnance Survey map, 1964, OS/6/5/14/6 6. PRONI, Valuation map, c. 1908–c.1918, VAL/12/D/5/14D (based on Ordnance Survey map published in 1907) 7. NIEA, HB Records Secondary sources 1. Robert M. Henderson, Waterside Presbyterian Church, 1866-1966 (1966) 2. W. S. Ferguson, A. J. Rowan and J. J. Tracey, List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in and near the City of Derry (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1970) 3. Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster (1979) 4. History of Congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (Belfast, 1982) 5. Avril Thomas (ed.), Irish Historic Towns Atlas, no. 15, Derry~Londonderry (Dublin, 2005) 6. Dan Calley, City of Derry: An Historical Gazetteer to the Buildings of Londonderry (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013) Online sources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects: www.dia.ie

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

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

Waterside Presbyterian Church is a detached double-height over basement gable-fronted stone church with spire, built 1864-1866 to designs by William Hague and enlarged c.1924 with the construction of two transepts. A substantial Gothic Revival church that was constructed in response to a growing population within the Presbyterian community on the east banks of the Foyle during the mid nineteenth-century. The vertical emphasis and fine stonework detailing make this building stand out as a local landmark with the spire piercing the skyline of the Waterside area of the city. Its setting along with its robust stone boundary walling and fine railings and gates add to its interest. The early twentieth-century additions give the building further interest in addition to the church's important social role as a focal point for the Presbyterian community.

General Comments

Date of Survey

30 September 2014