Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/50/018

Address :
Church House and Assembly Hall Fisherwick Place Belfast County Antrim BT1 6DW

Townland:
Town Parks

---

Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
26/06/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Assembly Room

Former Use
Assembly Room

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

---

OS Map No:
130-13SE

IG Ref:
J3357 7395

---

Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Detached multi-bay three-storey with attic Neo-Gothic sandstone Presbyterian Assembly Building, dated 1905, having two principal elevations facing onto Fisherwick Street (west) and Howard Street (south) with a square-plan three-stage clock tower to the southwest corner surmounted by a repousse crown steeple. Rectangular on plan with secondary elevations fronting onto Upper Queen Street and Wellington Street, forming a quadrangular city block. Variety of natural slate roofs with multiple pitches covering the different elements along all four elevations with a flat-roofed section to the centre having a glazed dome. Cast-iron box hoppers and square-profile downpipes breaking through all parapet walls. Random uncoursed squared rock-faced sandstone ashlar walling with smooth sandstone trim to projecting plinth course and continuous string courses between floors. Square-headed and Tudor-arched transomed and mullioned window openings with cusped-headed multi-light sandstone frames and leaded lattice steel casement windows (except where stated otherwise). Tower Square on plan with engaged octagonal piers to the corners and surmounted by an openwork copper repousse crown steeple with an octagonal lantern and tapering spirelet, all decorated with copper crockets. Steeple set behind crenellated and blind arcaded parapet wall with four octagonal turrets to the corners and a further four rising behind each parapet, all with small gargoyles, those to the corners surmounted by crocketed stone finials. To the base of the parapet wall is a continuous concave string course with floral motifs and gargoyles projecting from each corner. Single Tudor-arched openings to the upper level having five lights, continuous hood moulding rising to a poppy-head finial set within cusped-headed blind arcading and resting on a splayed sill with lion-head course below. Below the upper window to the west is an iron clock-face with Roman numerals. The middle stage corresponds to the first and second floors of the main building and has a Gothic-arched opening to the south elevation with recessed tripartite window frame opening onto a shallow stone balcony supported by angel heads and having trefoil panels filled with shields of various Irish counties. Below is a pair of Gothic-arched window openings with hood mouldings, foliate label stops and bipartite windows. Tudor-arched door opening to the ground floor (south) with hardwood glazed door flanked by engaged columns and decorative cusped-headed overpanel with figurative label stops. The west elevation has a pair of Tudor-arched window openings to the middle stage, bipartite to the upper level, five-light to the lower level. To the lower stage is an inscribed marble panel stating; 'The Presbyterian Church / in Ireland / Church House / and / Assembly Hall / 1905'. Panel set in a foliate carved frame and flanked angled pinnacles. Principal West elevation West elevation is seven windows wide, surmounted by a crenellated parapet wall broken by a gabled end bay to the north, central gabled entrance bay and gabled breakfront oriel to south. The gabled bay to north is framed by full-height piers surmounted by corbelled octagonal tourelles in turn surmounted by conical pinnacles. Gothic-arched two-light window opening to the gable. Two pairs of mullioned windows to the second floor with flat hood mouldings. Ground floor and first floor windows set within a single sandstone frame with Tudor-arched five-light window to the first floor. The ground floor also has a five-light window with a later door opening and surmounted by five panels with heraldic shields. Central entrance bay is surmounted by a crenellated gable and poppy-head finial, flanked by square turrets with gargoyles to the base and surmounted by four-sided sprocketed stone pinnacles. To ground, first and second floors is a full-height Tudor arch filled with oriel windows and elaborate carvings. Compound moulded Tudor-arched front entrance with deeply set archivolt embellished with foliate mouldings and a central angel with Celtic knotwork to the spandrels. Door opening flanked by diminutive niches with pinnacles and poppy-head finials. The first floor has three bowed trefoil-headed oriel windows rising from corbelled bases filled with figurative carvings and a date shield to the centre stating; '1905'. Square panels above the oriels have carved heraldic shields and a crenellated triple bowed parapet wall fronting the recessed windows to the second floor. The deeply set arch is embellished with carved heads while the first and second floor is framed by vertical panels filled with carved grotesques surmounted by pinnacles and lions, crossing the arch as a billet moulding and meeting as a large foliate finial with ribbon carving stating; 'Ardens Sen Virens'. Replacement double-leaf doors with raised-and-fielded panels surmounted by cusped leaded overlight. Remainder of the west elevation has mullioned windows to second floor, with transoms to first and ground floors; drip moulds over appropriate to profile (Tudor arched to ground floor, square-headed to upper floors) window frames with hood mouldings and foliate stops. The south section has a central shallow breakfront oriel to the upper two levels surmounted by a carved panel depicting four heraldic shields with crowns and angels in turn surmounted by a gable flanked by pinnacles. North elevation This secondary elevation has a recessed central section abutted by two gabled projections. The westernmost bay is three windows wide with three-light window openings to each level (each toplight is Tudor-arched). Adjacent is a gabled projection with a recessed door opening having replacement timber window and doors surmounted by a plaque stating; 'Presbyterian Church in Ireland / Church House & Assembly Hall', and a four-light transomed and mullioned window over. Largely cusped-headed three-light and five-light tracery window to the recessed sections abutted by single-storey wings having square-headed window and door openings with vertically-sheeted hardwood doors. The easternmost section is three windows wide with square-headed window openings to the upper floors having rock-faced voussoired heads and replacement timber casement windows. Tudor-arched window openings to the ground floor with steel grilles. East elevation This four-storey secondary elevation is seven windows wide with each bay surmounted by a plain gable having lead-lined coping. Broad Tudor-arched window openings to the third floor, segmental-headed to the first and second floors with replacement timber casement windows throughout. Modern shop units to ground floor having voussoired heads over aluminium shop display windows. To the central bay is a Tudor-arched door opening with replacement glazed aluminium doors, wall-mounted lettering stating; 'Fisherwick Buildings', hood moulding and figurative label stops with hood cornice. The south end of the east elevation is attached to the main south elevation by a low crenellated link block, detailing is plainer with central gable having simple pinnacle, three openings to each floor, those to the centre set in a shallow breakfront from first to third floors; Gothic headed openings to ground floor including central door opening. Principal South elevation The main south elevation has detailing as west, nine windows wide with a central gable lit by an oriel and framed by tourelles,all rising from first floor level and supported on corbelled bases. East end is terminated by a two-storey pinnacled gabled end bay lit to double-height upper floor by a large stained and leaded Perpendicular tracery window with enriched apron panels over a deep chamfered stone sill, and framed by engaged crenellated octagonal piers rising above eaves. There are two diminutive rectangular windows to either side of sill level, and a stepped string course running beneath. Ground floor has symmetrical arrangement of two Tudor arched windows framing a central Gothic headed door opening with square-headed blind arcaded overpanel framed by enriched piers. To right of the terminating gable, the link block to east wing (see above) is two-storey, having a mullioned window over a large sheeted opening. To right of terminating bay is a full height link with single cusped lights to upper floors over a Tudor-arched opening with ornamented head and trefoil roundels over, infilled with a modern window; thereafter is a breakfront with tapered roof over, having richly carved roundel panel to parapet level flanked by pinnacles states; 'The Word of God Which Liveth And Abideth'. South entrance is below, having compound moulded surround, hood moulding with foliate label stops flanked by pinnacles rising to the second floor and elaborately carved spandrels. Replacement aluminium glazed doors open onto three stone steps. Gabled central bay has a pair of square-headed transomed and mullioned windows beneath oriel, having a Gothic-arched door to left and a door with large rectangular mullioned transom to right, both having double-leaf hardwood panelled doors opening onto two stone steps. Otherwise mullioned Tudor arched openings irregularly arranged over ground, first and second floors, generally plainly detailed with label moulds, with exception of those to ground floor which are detailed with cusped blind arcades over. Setting Located on a corner site with a principal west elevation fronting onto Fisherwick Place, principal south elevation fronting onto Howard Street, secondary elevation fronting onto Upper Queen Street and a secondary elevation fronting onto Wellington Street. Square-plan tower joins both principal elevations at the southeast corner. Roof Natural slate RWG Cast-iron Walling Random coursed squared rock-faced sandstone ashlar Windows latticed leaded steel casements

Architects

Young & Mackenzie (remodelling)

Historical Information

Opened in 1905 as the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the building was constructed to designs prepared by Young and MacKenzie, on a site previously occupied by the old Fisherwick Presbyterian Church (second edition OS map 1858). The third edition OS map (1901-02) shows that the old Presbyterian Church, completed in 1827 by Thomas Duff, had been demolished and the site cleared in preparation for construction of the new Assembly Buildings (Patton). Listed in the 1903-1905 Street Directories as being ‘in course of erection’ the building is first shown, captioned ‘Church House’ on the fourth edition OS map (1931). The Annual Revisions (1906-15) first list the building at £450; included within this valuation were the General Assembly offices, a board room, committee room, storerooms and caretakers apartments, a reading room, prayer room, newsroom, classrooms, gymnasium and a minor hall. Forming part of the building but listed separately were the Assembly Hall at £100 and a shop, bookstore and dispatch office at £75. Originally, the designs for the building were intended to be generated through a competition, which was won by Robert Savage. However, Larmour, writing in 1987 comments that the conditions of a £30,000 cost limit, which were set by Robert Young (of Young and MacKenzie, architect of the Presbyterian Church), were highly unreasonable. With no suitable designs prepared within this budget, the assessor Thomas Drew decided to abandon the competition and appointed Young and MacKenzie as architects (Patton). However, the final design prepared by Young and executed by Robert Corry, builders, would ultimately reach an estimated cost of £74,000 (HB File). Patton (1993) describes the building as “…an odd mixture of Scottish baronial and Perpendicular…” with the corner tower and open crown spire providing the dominant feature to the termination of Howard Street. Adorned with heavy carvings, the upper floors were the work of Purdy and Millard, whilst that of the ground floor, the interior and surrounding the entrances was executed by J. Edgar Winter. Of particular note are the carved spandrels of the main doorway, which present a rare example of ‘Celtic Revivalism’ in a City Centre building (Larmour). Internally, the large semi-circular assembly hall was three storeys in height and consisted of a stone arcade inset with Tudor-style timber balconies. Writing in 1987, Larmour commented that the assembly hall constituted “…one the most impressive interiors in Belfast...”. The ornamental ‘art nouveau’ roof light which hangs above this space and the Barkly Memorial window in the minor hall, were completed by the stained glass craftsman William Douglas (Patton; DIA). The turret clock, by Sharman D. Neill is of particular note, as it is the first example in Britain of electricity being used to drive the clock, and has a carillon of twelve bells (Larmour). Two stained glass windows were added in the mid-late 20th century; the Carrickfergus window in the foyer of the assembly hall and the Rosemary Street window on the second floor landing (Presbyterian Church in Ireland). The interior underwent renovations following bomb-damage during the 1970s and extensive alterations in 1992 when the assembly hall was refurbished and the ground floor converted into the ‘Spires’ shopping mall and restaurant. The ground floor became publicly accessible and the Presbyterian General Assembly moved into the private accommodation on the floors above (UA). Since the turn of the 21st century, extensive restoration and alteration work has been carried out to the exterior stonework (HB File). References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2- First Edition OS Map (1832-33) 2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3- Second Edition OS Map (1858) 3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4- Third Edition OS Map (1901-2) 4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6- Fourth Edition OS Map (1931) 5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/34- Annual Revisions (1906-15) 6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/35- Annual Revisions (1906-15) 7. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C38 - Annual Revisions (1916-25) 8. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/14- First General Revaluation (1935) 10. The Ulster Street Directories (1887-1995) 11. (UA) “Ulster Architect” July 1992 12. HB File (HB26/50/018) Secondary Sources 1. Larmour, P “Belfast, An Illustrated Architectural Guide” 1987 2. Brett, C.E.B “The Buildings of Belfast 1700-1914” 1985 Ed 3. Patton, Marcus “Central Belfast- An Historical Gazetteer” UAHS, Belfast (1993) 4. Bardon, Jonathan “Belfast, An Illustrated History” Blackstaff Press, Belfast (1982) 5. www.dia.ie - Dictionary of Irish Architects online 6. Presbyterian Church in Ireland “Church House and Assembly Buildings” (n.d) http://www.presbyterianireland.org/about/churchhouse.html

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

Evaluation

Detached multi-bay three-storey with attic Neo-Gothic sandstone Presbyterian Assembly Building, dated 1905, having two principal elevations facing onto Fisherwick Street (west) and Howard Street (south) with a square-plan three-stage clock tower to the southwest corner surmounted by a copper crown steeple. Built to designs prepared by Young and MacKenzie, on a site previously occupied by the old Fisherwick Presbyterian Church. Standing on a prominent junction, this highly detailed building addresses two major streets in the centre of Belfast, culminating in a tall tower with an elaborate copper crown dome. Although some of the original interior has been lost, the rooms that remain intact show a fine timber and stone masonry craftsmanship matching the wealth of detail to the exterior and constitutes one of the highlights of Belfast's architectural achievements from the early 20th century. It is a fine example of a civic structure representing the continuing development of the City and the work of a prominent architectural practice.

General Comments

Date of Survey

23 August 2012