Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB19/01/009

Address :
Glenavy Methodist Church Main Street Glenavy County Antrim BT29 4LP

Townland:
Glenavy

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
07/11/2011 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:
145/02

IG Ref:
J1548 7300

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Owner Category

Church - Methodist

Exterior Description And Setting

A Gothic-style Methodist church dated 1891, built to the designs of James John Phillips. Rectangular plan with modern extension to the rear. Located off the main thoroughfare through the town of Glenavy, opposite the Protestant Hall (HB19/01/008). Pitched slated roof with clay ridge tiles. Corbelled eaves with cast-iron ogee moulded gutters and circular down pipes. Red brick walling laid in Flemish Bond with sandstone dresings; squared rock-faced coursed masonry plinth to front façade. Lancet arched windows with stained glass; chamfered long-and-short surrounds; chamfered cill; hood mouldings with scrolled head-stops. Timber sheeted front door with wrought-iron filigree strap hinges; breaking through plinth course at lower level with chamfered long-and-short sandstone surrounds with corbelled lintel over. The principal gable faces west and is symmetrically arranged. Weathered coping with roll moulding rising to foliated finial at apex. Sandstone rose window with half-circle hood moulding having scroll head-stops located centrally in the gable head. Upper portion of gable head decorated with narrow arcaded brick mouldings. Corners embraced by single-stage lateral buttresses rising to hexagonally arranged pinnacles. Single windows to ground floor level flanking single-storey gabled porch. North and south cheeks of the porch with entrance doors; gable with weathered coping rising to foliated finial; large gable shoulders; symmetrically arranged arcaded windows with taller central window. South elevation symmetrically arranged five-bay deep; each bay comprising a pair of lancet arched windows with brick surrounds; segmented with single-stage lateral buttress. Brick plinth and corbel courses. The rear gable is blank smooth rendered; abutted at ground floor level with single storey link block adjoining modern brick hall; gabled porch entrances at the re-entrants of the north and south elevations. The north elevation is essentially the same as the south; the second bay from left has a single window and bricked up door opening; the far right bay is abutted by the gabled secondary entrance of the modern hall to the rear of the site. Setting: The east of the site is bounded by a wrought-iron railing on a low-level rubble masonry wall; robust piers surmounted by sandstone lancet-faced sandstone upper portion; wrought-iron gates and segmental arch over. South of the site is bounded partially by rubble masonry wall and modern gates and railing. Modern two-storey housing development to the south of the site with two-storey retail and storage building to the north. Roofing: Natural slate Walling: Red brick Windows: Stained glass RWG: Cast-iron

Architects

Phillips, JJ

Historical Information

The first Methodist Meeting House in Glenavy was built c.1830, however, Methodism in the area dates from the mid-eighteenth century when John Wesley founded the Methodist Church in Ireland. The current Wesleyan Methodist Church was opened in 1892 and replaced the earlier meeting house which has now unfortunately been demolished but was used until recently as a Sunday school. The original Meeting House first appears on the 1832-33 Ordnance Survey map for the Glenavy area where it was depicted as a small oblong building situated midway along Glenavy’s Main Street. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs tell us that the meeting house was constructed in 1830; a second account suggests a build date of 1836, however the buildings appearance on the Ordnance Survey Map supports the earlier date. The construction of the original meeting house cost £100 and was built to accommodate a congregation of 90-100 people. The meeting house measured 33ft by 23ft and in c.1836-38 was described as ‘an exceedingly plain building, much out of repair’ (OSM Co. Antrim VII, Vol. 21). In 1859 the meeting house was valued at £5. 10s. and was let by a Ms. Jane Johnston. Until 1878 the Methodist gathering of Glenavy were Primitive Methodists, adherents of a decentralised church in which the congregation administered the operation of the church, however in that year the congregation elected to join the Wesley Society of Methodists. A Manse was purchased for the first incumbent minister in 1885 although it is not known where this was situated (Watson). The current church building was constructed c.1891-92. The Architect, a Mr. James John Philips (1841/2-1936) who operated from offices in Belfast was the chief architect to the Methodist Church in the north of Ireland charged with designing or altering at least 17 churches between 1884 and c.1905 when he went into semi-retirement. The foundation stone of the new Methodist Church in Glenavy was laid on 10 October 1891 and a Mr. Robert Calwell was employed as the chief builder. In 1892 the Rev. Charles Watson wrote that the Methodist congregation in Glenavy was the oldest in the area and recorded that the original meeting house bore a date stone of 1826 (Watson). The new church was built to accommodate this relatively large congregation of 140 worshippers and was constructed at a cost of £1500, dedicated on 25 June 1892 (Irish Builder Vol. 33, p. 236; Dictionary of Irish Architects; Lisburn Standard, 25 June 1892). In 1931 the church underwent centenary celebrations during which the building was renovated and repaired; a new roof was also installed costing £270. At this time the original meeting house was used for a variety of purposes including the church Sunday school (Lisburn Standard, 17 April 1931). In 1951 a building fund was begun with the aim of constructing a new vestry to the Church; when the church was constructed in 1891-92 a vestry was not included, however, the church was planned so a vestry could be added at a later date. At the time it was believed that a sum of £800 was required for the completion of this scheme (Glenavy History website). The proposed Vestry was eventually added to the church in October 1967 when a modern electric heating system was also installed. In September 2009 a new Church Hall was constructed adjoining the rear of the church which included a modern kitchen and toilet facilities. With the construction of the new hall the original c. 1830 church building, used until recently as a meeting place and Sunday school, was demolished. The current Minister of Glenavy is the Rev. Elizabeth Hewitt who is also the minister of Moira and Magheraberry maintaining the Methodist tradition of employing a church circuit (Kelly, pp 108-109). Glenavy Methodist Church is part of the history of Irish Methodism and is one of a number of churches designed by James John Phillips, the chief architect of the Methodist Church in the north. References Primary Sources 1. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/59 – Field Map c.1830 2. PRONI VAL/1/B/171 – Townland Valuation 3. PRONI OS/6/1/59/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-33 4. PRONI OS/6/1/59/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858 5. PRONI OS/6/1/59/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901-1902 6. PRONI OS/6/1/59/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1921 7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/58 – Griffith’s Valuation 1859 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/4 A – Annual Revisions 1869-1881 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/4 B – Annual Revisions 1881-1894 10. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/4 C – Annual Revisions 1894-1911 11. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/4 D – Annual Revisions 1912-1929 12. Irish Builder Vol. 33, 15 Oct 1891 p. 236. 13. Lisburn Standard, 1892. Secondary Sources 1. Watson, C. W., ‘Glenavy: Past and Present’ Belfast: Linenhall Works, 1892. 2. ‘The life and times of Dr. Arthur Mussen M.D., J.P., Glenavy, County Antrim 1842-1931’ ‘The Digger:’ Pamphlet, 2009. 3. ‘A history of Orangeism in the Glenavy District – A Tercentenary Booklet: 1690-1990’ (Pamphlet). Online Resources 1. Glenavy History Website - http://www.glenavyhistory.com. 2. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://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

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

Evaluation

Gothic Revival Methodist church dated 1891, built to the designs of James John Phillips, a significant architect in the design of Methodist Churches in Antrim and Down. Externally the historic aspect and character of church have remained largely unchanged, and is representative of Methodist Church building of the period in both style and material. A large hall complex erected to the rear has an impact on the setting although does not significantly detract from the church's special interest. The Methodist congregation from the local area is long standing and prior to the erection of the present church, held their services in an earlier church built in 1830, which was demolished in 2009 to make way for the large modern hall. The interior is of good quality with much historic fabric retained. This church is of interest to the local community and is one of the few architecturally significant buildings in Main Street, Glenavy.

General Comments

In Glenavy Area of Village Character

Date of Survey

23 November 2010