Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/29/007

Address :
Great Victoria Street Presbyterian Church 129 Great Victoria Street Belfast County Antrim BT2 7AH

Townland:
Malone Lower

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
14/03/1986 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:
147/1 NE

IG Ref:
J3356 7332

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Owner Category

Church - Presbyterian

Exterior Description And Setting

Attached Presbyterian Church, built c.1860, to designs by James McNea, located to the west side of Great Victoria Street. Rectangular-on-plan, abutted at east by classically detailed double-height porch with curved bay to north and south. Roof is pitched natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles over corbelled eaves course. Walls are painted ruled render over painted plinth; porch to east has channelled rustication to ground floor, smooth rendered to first floor and portico. Windows are segmental-arched-headed at ground floor, round-arched-headed at first floor (in moulded reveal with lugged impost and keystone detail to east elevation), all containing leaded stained glass in smooth painted surround; painted sandstone sills. Principal elevation faces east and is abutted by porch. The entrance is accessed via two paved steps. The porch comprises pedimented portico on engaged pilasters on moulded plinth framing three entrances; each entrance comprises, at ground floor, recent double leaf timber glazed doors surmounted by round-arched-headed glazed fanlights containing leaded stained glass set within bead moulded surrounds with plain impost and keystone detail; plastered sill course and string course to windows at first floor. Portico entrance flanked at left and right by curved bays containing round-arched-headed niche with keystone detail at ground floor and single window at first floor. South elevation is abutted by adjoining two-storey building. West elevation is abutted by adjoining two-storey building. North elevation is four windows wide; windows arranged within double height round-arched-headed recessed panels; window to ground floor right replaced with recent timber panelled entrance door surmounted by segmental-arched-headed fanlight set within existing opening. Setting: The church is bounded to Great Victoria Street to the east by sandstone plinth walling surmounted by cast iron railings, accessed via pair of cast iron gates with decorative supporting brackets. To Albion Street to the north, the church is directly accessed from the street via recent access ramp and steps with painted steel railings. Roof : Natural slate Walling : Painted ruled render, rusticated render to east elevation Windows: Segmental-arched-headed at ground floor, round-arched-headed at first floor, containing leaded stained glass RWG : Cast aluminium moulded gutters and round downpipes

Architects

McNea, James

Historical Information

A Presbyterian church (originally known as Sandy Row Presbyterian Church) was opened in Great Victoria Street in 1861 to designs by James McNea, architect of several Presbyterian churches in Armagh and Tyrone during the 1850s and 60s as well as the present building. (www.dia.ie) The Sandy Row congregation originated with the work of a Town Mission. A minister was appointed to gather together Presbyterian families in the Sandy Row district, an area which was undergoing rapid growth during the second half of the nineteenth century as factories and industrial housing spread westwards. Nearby Great Victoria Street had been laid out in the 1820s and some high-value housing had been built in Shaftesbury Square making the area a juxtaposition of wealthy and working class. (History of Congregations; Brett) It was initially proposed to build two churches in the area, one for the people and one for the ‘higher classes’, but by 1859 Belfast Presbytery had rejected this idea and had decided that there would be more public support and less expense if only one church were to be erected. In November 1859 the Belfast Newsletter reported that large sums had already been received towards the erection of the church and a ‘very suitable’ site had been obtained. (Belfast Newsletter) The church was opened for worship on Sunday 13th January 1861, the Belfast Newsletter commenting, “Sunday last, the handsome and commodious new church erected for the recently-formed Sandy Row Presbyterian congregation, was opened for religious worship…It is capable of accommodating from 800 to 1,000 persons and is well and advantageously constructed. The interior has been almost completed and a trifling portion of the exterior remains to be finished. The sacred edifice will beautify the locality and is worthy of the congregation and the liberal-hearted and benevolent gentlemen who contributed towards and encouraged its erection.” Rev Dr Cooke spoke in the church a few days later stating that the church was ‘truly a revival church’. “He then referred to the steps which had been taken to erect that church. Some were for placing it out of the way in some backward place, but he liked a visible church, not only of men and women but also a building, and they had got such a visible church and a beautiful edifice it was and in an excellent position. He saw it two or three times every day going to and retiring from the College and he was glad it had been erected in such a position instead of where some had proposed.” (Belfast Newsletter) A schoolhouse was built to the rear of the church in 1868 to designs by Boyd & Batt. (Patton) The church is first shown, uncaptioned, on the 1901-2 edition of the Ordnance Survey and is entered into the valuation book dating from 1862-82, although the valuation, £90, is undated. Dimensions are given. After the addition of the schoolhouse, the valuation is raised to £130, but there are no further significant changes in Annual Revisions. (Annual Revisions) In December 1972 the church re-opened following extensive redecoration and other improvements to the interior. The congregation, which had comprised forty families when the church first opened in 1861 and was composed largely of ‘persons in humble circumstances’ had now increased to upwards of four hundred families. “Elegance, substantiality and comfort have all been kept in view and in its present condition it is unquestionably one of the most beautiful places of worship in connection with the General Assembly. The main feature in connection with the improvements is the pulpit…it has been designed on entirely modern principles and as a work of art, possesses a high degree of merit. It is composed of pitch pine and mahogany and is supported on four magnificent columns of pitch pine, having mahogany bass and richly carved mahogany capitals” The cost of the improvements was about £350. (Belfast Newsletter) Further improvements were carried out in 1909, including the introduction of electricity. The contractor was T & W Lowry and the architects Young & Mackenzie. (Irish Builder) The First World War saw 769 members of this congregation serve in the Armed Forces, illustrative of the very significant contribution made by Belfast’s working classes to the war effort and the high price many paid, 122 of the congregation dying on active service. In 1957 the interior of the church was re-designed after serious fire damage. In 1997-8 further radical restructuring took place to produce a dual-purpose building. (Kirkpatrick) Membership of the church peaked in the 1920s with a membership of more than 1,400 families but has declined somewhat since that time, population having shifted out of the city centre. References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-3 2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1858 3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1901-2 4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1931 5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/D/1-22 – Annual Revisions (1862-1930) 6. Irish Builder, Vol 51, 26th June 1909, p.405 7. Belfast Newsletter, 8th January 1859 8. Belfast Newsletter, 21st November 1859 9. Belfast Newsletter, 15th January 1861 10. Belfast Newsletter, 16th January 1861 11. Belfast Newsletter, 17th December 1872 Secondary Sources 1. “A History of Congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1610-1982” authorised by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, 1982 (available at www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com) 2. Brett, C.E.B., Gillespie, R. and Maguire W.A. “Georgian Belfast, 1750-1850, Maps Buildings and Trades” Dublin and Belfast: Royal Irish Academy and Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society, 2004 3. Kirkpatrick, L “Presbyterians in Ireland, An Illustrated History” Ireland: Booklink, 2006 4. Larmour, Paul “Belfast – An Illustrated Architectural Guide” Belfast: Friar’s Bush press, 1987 5. Patton, M “Central Belfast: An Historical Gazetteer” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1993 6. www.dia.ie – Dictionary of Irish Architects online

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

Fine Presbyterian Church, built c.1860, probably to designs by James McNea, located to the west side of Great Victoria Street. This impressive church is classically detailed with substantial engaged pilasters supporting a pedimented entrance. Retaining much of the external detail and proportions and its decorative cast metal railings, internally, the church has been substantially remodelled and modernised. The church is a prominent feature on this part of Great Victoria Street and is of social interest representing the presbyterian congregation in this part of Belfast.

General Comments

.

Date of Survey

15 April 2011