Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB20/15/007

Address :
Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church Main Street Crumlin Co Antrim

Townland:
Ballytromery

---

Survey 2:
A

Date of Listing:
11/12/1974 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

---

OS Map No:
128/10

IG Ref:
J1538 7603

---

Owner Category

Church - Other

Exterior Description And Setting

An octagonal blackstone church with a pedimented two-storey entrance front. Main entrance faces north. North elevation symmetrical: comprises a gabled and pedimented two-storey projecting entrance bay, with the side elevations to the main church angled off to the rear. Walls of rubble basalt in rough courses with roughly squared quoins; projecting plinth of basalt rubble with squared sandstone coping; brick dressings to openings; projecting platband at first floor level, continuous around church. Later cement grouting to upper stages of walls. Ground storey has central doorway in segmental arched opening; double doors with folding side panels, all with raised and fielded panelling; plastered reveals finished flush. Large deep doorstep of concrete, with deep stone paved area in front of entrance, approached by three steps all around. One window to each side of entrance: segmental arched, with flush plastered reveals, projecting stone cills; windows timber vertically hung sliding sash, 6 over 6 with margin lights, with horns; modern steel mesh protective grilles bolted over windows. First floor has two windows sashed as previous but with semi-circular arches; in centre between windows is a shaped datestone inscribed 'MDCCCXXXV' and set in moulded surround. Surmounting gable is a plain pediment. Side walls of projecting gabled entrance bay have a blank window recess to ground floor, segmental arched and blocked with painted stucco, with a semi-circular arched window to upper floor, sashed as on entrance front. Rubble basalt walling as previous, with brick dressings to windows; plinth later cement rendered; projecting brick eaves course; cast iron gutter and downpipe. Roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses behind front gable coping. Small square brick chimney on ridge at rear wall of porch projection; modern pots. Side elevations of church of similar character as previous; segmental arched windows to ground floor, semi-circular arched to upper floor. Plinth cement rendered and contains square sandstone panels drilled with hexagonal arrangement of ventilator holes. Red brick eaves course; cast iron gutter and downpipe in centre of main side walls breaking through first floor platband. All windows protected by grilles. Main roof of church slated as previous, with prominent rounded tiles at ridges. Rear wall of church similar to sides except windows sashed 6 over 9 with margin lights, set in semi-circular arches, and windows break line of first floor string course. SETTING: The church stands in its own grounds set well back from the main street; grounds grassed, with rough tarmac area in front. Northern boundary of grounds effectively formed by unprepossessing backs of buildings on main street. Boundaries to sides and rear formed by concrete post and wire fences with tall trees around the fringes of the rear part of the grounds where church stands. The front portion of the grounds is a graveyard, planted with yew trees. No memorials of special architectural interest. Setting slightly spoiled by painted heating-oil tank being located conspicuously in central area of grounds. GATEWAY: Gateway opening off main street comprises a pair of original heavy iron gates of restrainedly ornamental design mounted on square piers. Piers are rusticated to side facing street-front; panelled to sides and rear with roughcast panels; large overhanging flat sandstone caps. Western pier abuts an old gabled roughcast building of no architectural interest; eastern pier abuts a modern gabled rustic brick house. Driveway of rough hard surface curved round to approach church. Rusticated surrounds to coved short front screen walls with roughcast panels on street-front.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Building 1835 for Rev Nathaniel Alexander who retired shortly before it was officially opened on 17 September 1837. Designed to accommodate 800 people and estimated to cost £1,000, to be paid for by subscription. It replaced an earlier church dating from 1723 which was situated further to the north within the same grounds. The congregation of the earlier church was Presbyterian but during the ministry of Rev Alexander it changed to Unitarian. The general layout of gallery and pews may have been modelled on that of the 1st Presbyterian Church (Unitarian) in Rosemary Street, Belfast, built in the 1780s. Rev Alexander was succeeded by Rev George Hill. Repaired in 1992 by Leighton Johnston Associates. References - Primary Sources 1. Datestone on building. 2. Ordnance survey Memoirs of Ireland, Vol 21: Parishes of County Antrim VII, 1832-8 (Belfast, 1993), pp 66 and 69. 3. OS Map 1832-3, Co Antrim 59 (shows earlier church). 4. OS Map 1858, Co Antrim 59 (shows this church). Secondary Sources 1. UAHS, West Antrim (Belfast, 1970), pp 6, 8, 11. 2. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of County Antrim (UAHS, 1996), p 52. 3. C. Watson, The Story of the United Parishes of Glenavy, Camlin and Tullyrusk (Belfast, 1892), p 42.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form E. Spatial Organisation H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This is an example of a late Georgian church which retains most of its original features both inside and outside and enjoys a largely unspoiled setting. It has an unusual plan form as well as very fine sets of box pews in both the main body of the church and the gallery.

General Comments

Date of Survey

27 February 1999