Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB23/20/010

Address :
First Holywood Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church High Street Holywood Co Down BT18 9AQ

Townland:
Holywood

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
28/02/1975 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:
130/04

IG Ref:
J3978 7920

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Owner Category

Church - Other

Exterior Description And Setting

A freestanding double-height Classical Non-Subscribing Presbyterian church, built c.1850 to designs by Sir Charles Lanyon. The church is rectangular on plan with an undercroft accessed from rear. Roof is hipped natural slate (concealed to front by a balustraded parapet) with ogee cast-iron rainwater goods on cavetto moulded stone eaves over brick eaves course to secondary elevations. The classical front has stucco walling painted. Secondary elevations have rubble basalt walling, roughly coursed. Windows are round-headed throughout with stucco archivolts and keyblock to classical front, brick dressed and set in shallow recesses rising from floor level on side elevations. The side elevations have a moulded string at impost level rising over window heads to archivolt and keyblock. All have projecting stone sills, some painted , and secondary glazing. All doors are double-leaf three-panelled timber with moulded architraves and brass knobs, unless otherwise stated. Classical front faces south and comprises a portico in antis supported on two Corinthian columns complete with pilaster responds, with entablature. Antae are framed with matching pilasters and each has a blind semi-circular-headed recess with projecting moulded sill on scrolled brackets over a square panel, all with moulded surrounds. Three doors set to portico, each with drip stone on ornate scrolled brackets and having blind arched niche over; granite threshold accessed by three granite steps. Cheeks project from the main side elevations and each has a high-level window. West elevation is abutted by a modern access ramp at south end, forming a boiler house beneath accessed from the undercroft. Five openings wide to main body of church, former window to mid level at south has been replaced with door, detailed as others. The undercroft has four 8/8 margin-paned windows. Rear elevation has a modern single access door to centre flanked by two multi-pane timber windows all set in a brick dressed opening. Otherwise blank with the exception of a rubble stone relieving arch to centre. East elevation is as west, with original mid-level window retained at south end, set over a modern access door to undercroft. Setting The church is set back from Main Street in a tarmacadam site, sloping to rear and enclosed on three sides by a tall rubble stone boundary wall with soldier coping. The site is bounded to street by a cast-iron spear-headed railing with matching double gates. To front is a granite obelisk memorial to the Rev. Charles James McAlester, erected 1891. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Stucco and basalt rubble Windows: timber RWG: cast-iron

Architects

Lanyon, Charles

Historical Information

The church, designed by Charles Lanyon, was opened in 1849 and has remained largely unaltered. There was a Presbyterian congregation in Holywood since 1615 with at least three previous church buildings. The first, on a site below Shore Street, is now covered by the sea at high tide. The second and third on the same site in Shore Street itself were built during the ministry of Rev John Beatty from 1737-94, the later church being built in 1790. In the early nineteenth century a large proportion of the congregation became seceders who did not subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith. Being in the majority, they retained the meeting house and the orthodox congregation built a new meeting house in Strand Street and later in Bangor Road (HB23/20/14). (Church Information Leaflet) In 1847 an appeal for funds to build a new church was launched by the non-subscribing congregation and the building was opened for worship in 1849. It was designed by Charles Lanyon. Merrick comments, “The church was largely paid for by the widow of John Suffern, a well-known Belfast merchant and the work superintended by Francis Ritchie, felt manufacturer, of Ballymacarrett. For some years afterwards, the view of the front was partially obscured by a row of old houses...In 1854 the minister the Rev Charles McAlester, prominent in the life of Holywood, opened his Select School in the large hall beneath the Church. Nicknamed the ‘Underground Academy’ it lasted at least until the 1880’s and in the 1870’s numbered amongst its pupils the future Lord Craigavon and the future Dr Robert Praeger, famous botanist.” (Merrick, p.66) The church is shown on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858, uncaptioned. On the third edition (1900-2) it is captioned, ‘Presb[yterian] Ch[urch]’. Griffith’s Valuation (1861) lists it as a ‘Unitarian Meeting-house, yard and land’ valued at £52 and £1 for the yard. There are no changes in Annual Revisions. The valuation town plan dating from c1867-1900 gives a detailed plan of the church showing some internal divisions, staircases and the arrangement of the pulpit. Brett observes that, “A little unhappily, the organ has been moved from the gallery to a very prominent site behind the pulpit; the old pulpit, a splendid piece of carved mahogany, with four Corinthian columns, relegated to the undercroft.” ( Brett, p.66) The church was ‘thoroughly repaired and repainted’ by George McKnight in 1984 and in 1996 and underwent complete refurbishment c.2000. (Brett, p.66; Auld, p.124) References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858 2. PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02 3. PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31 4. PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41 5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64) 6. Printed Griffith’s Valuation – Union of Belfast, Co Down (1861) 7. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930) 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930) 9. PRONI VAL/12/E/123/1/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1860-c1866) 10. PRONI VAL/12/E/123/2/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1867-1900) Secondary Sources 1. Auld, C. “Holywood Co Down, Then and Now” Holywood: Con Auld, 2002 2. Church Information Leaflet (n.d.) 3. Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002 4. Merrick, Tony “Buildings of Holywood” Holywood: Holywood Advertiser, 1986

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

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

Evaluation

Holywood Non-Subscribing Presbyterian church is an imposing Classically-fronted building to designs by Sir Charles Lanyon c.1850 and bears many of his signature features, including bold in-antis Classical composition with Renaissance Revival detailing. Of note is its unusual layout with undercroft containing a school room, which now houses the original reredos from the church above. The internal detailing is well preserved throughout, and echoes the exterior in style, although in a less exuberant manner. Features of note include the original box pews and gallery and two fine cantilevered circular staircases located in antae; there are also several fixtures of historic and artistic interest. Its setting is complete with original railings and memorial obelisk, although marred by tarmacadam. Holywood Non-Subscribing Church is good example of nineteenth century Classical revival architecture by an important local architect

General Comments

Date of Survey

19 May 2010