Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB10/09/005

Address :
Donemana Presbyterian Church Church View Donemana Strabane Co Tyrone BT82 0PB

Townland:
Stonyfalls

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
06/07/1990 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

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OS Map No:
60-8

IG Ref:
C4409 0300

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Owner Category

Church - Presbyterian

Exterior Description And Setting

Presbyterian Church, dated. 1876, built on the site of an earlier church, located to the east side of Church View, Donemana. Rectangular-on-plan nave aligned north-south with one-and-a-half-storey extension to south gable. Roofs are replacement fibre cement slate added c.1990, clay crested ridge tiles; uPVC sheeted deep overhanging eaves supporting replacement cast-metal ogee profile rainwater goods. Walls are squared-and-snecked sandstone with stepped quoins and splayed plinth. Pointed-segmental-headed windows with latticed stained glass and margin lights contained within stepped chamfered surrounds and splayed cills unless otherwise stated. Principal gable faces north; central projecting bay with recessed bay at left and right. Central entrance comprises paired timber sheeted entrance doors contained within chamfered sandstone surround and divided by sandstone chamfered pier, surmounted by gothic arched panel containing carved datestone; all recessed within rebated chamfered stone surround surmounted by triangulated spandrel and continuous string course and carved stone finial; accessed by replacement steps comprising paviors with concrete plinth walls supporting cast-metal handrail to side and centre. Entrance level also accessible from ramp at west. Principal entrance surmounted by plate-tracery rose window comprising four stained glass quatrefoil windows and four smaller stained glass trefoil windows. Square-headed belfry opening to apex; gabled bell-cote with pointed-segmental-headed opening; no bell. Bays at left and right are diminished in height and contain single window (diminished). East elevation is recessed at right; recess contains lower gabled bay, projecting in line with nave. Exposed section at left contains five windows, second and third from left are replacements. Right bay contains single window at first floor level and square-headed blank opening to apex. South gable is abutted at centre by a one-and-a-half-storey extension built c. 1990; exposed section contains window at each side and square-headed opening to apex. West elevation is detailed as east; four windows at right are replacements. South extension; roof is detailed as nave; walls are roughcast rendered; windows are 4/1 timber casements with projecting masonry cills unless otherwise stated. West elevation contains vertically sheeted timber door at centre; single window at left, dipartite window at right. South gable contains three windows at ground and first floor; central window at first floor is dipartite and is contained within round-arched-headed opening. East elevation contains dipartite window at centre. Set on a roadside location; the site is bound at west by smooth rendered low walling with saddleback coping and cast-iron railings; bound at south by random rubble wall with soldier coping. Site is accessed at west via concrete steps flanked by smooth rendered piers supporting cast-iron gates. Single marble grave marker at north erected c.1890. Car park and church hall located at west. Roof Fibre cement slate Walling Squared-and-snecked sandstone with stepped quoins and splayed plinth. Windows Pointed-segmental-headed windows with latticed stained glass and margin lights RWG Replacement ogee profile cast-metal

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The church carries a datestone of 1876. It has been substantially altered internally. Externally it remains much as originally built, apart from the minister’s room at the south end of the church which has undergone rebuilding and extension c.1990. The building is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1905 captioned ‘Presbyterian Church’. The second edition OS map (1853) shows a previous building on the site. The church is added to Valuation Revisions in 1877 under exemptions as the ‘Presbyterian church and yard’, and is valued at £50.The previous building on site is a ‘ruins and garden’, occupied by Ephraim Morris and leased from James Ogilby. The Presbyterian History Society records that seceders from Badoney parish formed a congregation in 1798 and had a church building that in 1836 ‘was in a ruinous condition and…the congregation had to worship in a public house’ During the ministry of Mr John McMath, who was ordained on 25 Sep. 1873, “a new church was erected ‘more substantial and ornate than the one which had served hitherto’. The old site of the Secession church was vacant and it was vested in the elders of the late Secession Church and their successors. The necessary legal steps were taken and in 1876 the present church was erected on the Secession leasehold.” The Irish Builder of 1876 carries a description of the works in progress and an artist’s impression of the finished church. ‘Donemana, where this church…is being built, is a pleasantly situated village rather more than midway from Londonderry to Strabane, and is the centre of a very fine district. Some weeks since foundation stone was laid, and works are now being carried out under contract. Local limestone is used for walls, with Dungiven freestone dressings, &c., and the roofs will be covered with red and blue Bangor slates. The external dimensions are, 82ft by 44ft, having in addition session and minister’s rooms at east end. Principal entrance is in west gable by a deeply-recessed double doorway opening on porch 26ft by 10ft, with stairs in either side of same to gallery at west end of church and over porch. Open pews provide accommodation for 650 persons on ground floor and gallery. Choir seats and platform pulpit are at east end. The roof is partly open, having ceiling about half height 32 ft from floor. All the woodwork throughout is to be stained and varnished, and the lights are to be filled in with metal sashes and tinted glass. The church is from designs by Mr William McElwee, architect, of Derry, and is now being built by Mr Robert Colhoun, builder, also of Derry, the estimated cost being £1850.” (page 211) According to Rutherford the Reverend Samuel Logan, who was ordained in 1920 was “active in seeing the church property kept in excellent repair, and during his ministry renovation and improvements were carried out on Church and Manse at a cost of about £700”. (p.79) References: Primary Sources 1.PRONI OS/6/6/3/1 -First Edition OS Map (1832) 2.PRONI OS/6/6/3/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1853) 3.PRONI OS/6/6/3/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1905) 4.PRONI OS/6/6/3/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1951) 5.PRONI VAL/12/B/42/6A-G -Valuation Revisions (1860-1923) 6.The Irish Builder 15th July 1876 Secondary Sources 1.Rowan, Alistair. “North West Ulster: Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.” Buildings of Ireland Series. Dublin: Penguin Books, 1979. 2.Presbyterian History Society. [Internet Source]. Available from: (Accessed 16th May, 2009). 3. Rutherford, Rev. John. “Donagheady Presbyterian Churches and Parish” Belfast: McCaw, Stevenson & Orr Ltd., 1953

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

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

Presbyterian Church, dated. 1876, built on the site of an earlier church, located to the east side of Church View, Donemana. The church displays good style and proportion and some fine original interior details including some of the original latticed glazed windows with margin lights and the original sandstone entrance at the north, with a datestone. The church, despite much refurbishment to the interior, remains a fine example of church architecture and makes a positive contribution to the built heritage of the local area, and has social interest for the local community.

General Comments

Date of Survey

28 April 2009