Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB13/13/015

Address :
Presbyterian Church 69 Main Street Castlecaulfield BT70 3NP

Townland:
Drumreany

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
02/02/2018 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:
160/9SW

IG Ref:
H7541 6279

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Owner Category

Church - Presbyterian

Exterior Description And Setting

A freestanding barn-style Presbyterian church, dated c.1842, located at the north side of Hillfoot Terrace, Castlecaulfield, and set in a churchyard. Rectangular on plan with lower gabled porch to SW, sanctuary addition to NE, twentieth-century vestry to NW. Pitched natural slate roof, uPVC rainwater goods on replacement boxed eaves. Painted roughcast rendered walling over a shallow rendered plinth with painted tooled and feather-edged stone quoins. Lancet window openings having painted chamfered stone reveals and flush cills; margin-paned leaded lattice lights (unless otherwise stated). Entrance gable faces SW and is abutted by the entrance porch, which is flanked at either side by a slender blind lancet and spanned at eaves level by plain stringcourse; porch has a depressed pointed-arched entrance opening at SE with chamfered painted stone architrave on plinth blocks and painted timber-sheeted door with strap hinges. Porch is lit at SW by a lancet, and is further abutted to NW by a lean-to boiler house, having a rectangular diamond lattice window. Side elevations have equally-spaced openings, originally four to each side, and each with substantial ventilation grilles inserted beneath the cills. The twentieth century vestry abuts to the extreme left end of the NW elevation. It has a double pitched slated roof, rendered walls and modern windows and doors. The first floor is accessed by a bridge from the steeply sloping graveyard. NE gable is abutted by the lower, gabled sanctuary, which has two ornate stained and leaded lancets to rear, and one to each cheek. Setting: Village
setting, set back from the main road behind a churchyard containing a number of late nineteenth and twentieth-century memorials, and dominated by a large sandstone obelisk. Accessed via a curving tarmac driveway. Bounded to the road by a roughcast boundary wall with alcoved entrance having rendered plinth wall, original cast-iron railings and gates supported on rusticated stone piers with pointed caps. Backdrop of mature trees and hedges. Roof: Slate Walling: Roughcast RWG: uPVC Windows: Replacement leaded lattice

Architects

Historical Information

Built 1842, Castlecaulfield Presbyterian Church replaced an earlier Presbyterian meeting house which the first edition OS map (1833) indicates was located close to the ruins of the castle a short distance south east of current church. The minister during this period was Rev John Bridge, who was removed from the post due to his unpopularity resulting from his failure to defend a man named Ritchie at the Omagh Assizes, who was subsequently hanged for murder. He was succeeded by the Reverend Joseph Acheson in 1833. On 20 July 1839 Acheson married Amelia, daughter of well-known industrialist David Brown from Donaghmore. Amelia's brother founded the David Brown Soapworks in Donaghmore. Acheson is credited with funding the construction of the new church, which first appears on the second edition OS map (1854) as 'Presbyterian Meeting House.' David Acheson, son of Joseph and Amelia, established the Acheson Linen Factory in Castlecaulfield c.1872. Acheson remained minister of the church until 1877. He died in 1893 and in 1908 the Acheson Hall was constructed on the opposite side of Main Street in his memory. Robert McClean acted as minister from 1877 until his death in 1941 and was suceeded by Thomas Gerald Egerton Eakins, who was minister until 1962. Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/6/1 First Edition Ordnance Suvrey Map (1833) 2. PRONI OS/6/6/2 Second Edition Ordnance Suvrey Map (1854) 3. PRONI T2279/2 Notes and reminiscences dictated 1904-05 by James Brown Donaghmore, Tyrone Secondary Sources 1. Rankin, K 'The Linen Houses of the Bann Valley: The Story of Their Families' Ulster Historical Foundation, 2007

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

S. Authenticity X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

A modest barn-style Presbyterian church, dated 1842, characterised by restrained detailing and simple proportions, and located in the centre of Castlecaulfield village. Well-maintained, it is a good representative example of mid-nineteenth century rural Presbyterian architecture, much enhanced by its churchyard setting, containing a variety of memorials and sandstone obelisk, and the elegant gate screen with original gates and railings. Of social interest, the church has been central to both the physical and spiritual life of the village for generations.

General Comments

Date of Survey

15 March 2017