Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB24/15/021

Address :
Second Comber Presbyterian Church Killinchy Street Comber Co. Down BT23 5AP

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
04/03/1977 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:
148/10

IG Ref:
J4596 6903

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Owner Category

Church - Presbyterian

Exterior Description And Setting

Two storey gabled Presbyterian church of 1839, generally classical in style but with gothic windows, whose clean lines and painted render lend it a sharp, almost 1950s air. The church is set on a rise to the W of Killinchy Street, to the S of Comber town centre. In the centre of the ground floor of the front (E) façade is the main entrance which has timber panelled double doors, a moulded surround and a pedimented entablature on decorative brackets. The door surround may originally have been entirely in sandstone but sections of it are now in render. The entrance is set within a central bay which projects marginally. The bay is bordered with largely plain, sandstone ‘double pilasters’. Directly above the entrance is a pointed arch window with stained glass and a [?mainly] sandstone surround. This window rests on a narrow cill course. To either side of the central bay are outer bays which have a window as before only much taller. These bays have outer pilasters, as before. The entire front façade (excluding pilasters etc.) is finished in lined painted render and is topped with a sandstone entablature with cornicing. This in turn is surmounted by a panelled sandstone parapet with central pediment (actually the gable) with moulded date stone (‘1839’). The N façade has a slightly projecting (stairwell) bay to the left which repeats the styling of the outer bays to the front (pilasters, lined render, entablature, parapet etc.) except that instead of a window there is a tall pointed arch recess, with sandstone surround, cill course and lined render ‘interior’. To the right of this bay are four tall windows, as outer bays to front. This section of the façade does not have an entablature or parapet but merely a sandstone eaves course. Pilaster to right hand edge of façade. The S façade is identical to the N façade only handed. To the W side of the church a large modern hall was added in c.1994-5. This replaced an earlier hall of 1861. The manse (which also dates from 1861) is situated to the W of this. The roof of the church is covered in natural slate with a small rendered chimney stack to the W. Cast iron rw goods. To the front of the church are three sets of steps built into the rise, with modern hand rails. The wall to the (E) front of the church grounds (to the roadside) is modern.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

This church was built in 1839 [?after a split within Comber’s original Presbyterian congregation]. The building originally had a small projection to the west gable, which presumably housed a session room, but this was cleared away in 1861, when a school house and a manse were built to the rear- funded largely by session member John Smyth of New Comber House. The school house was later used as a church hall, but was demolished in c.1994 an a new hall built in its place. The manse was extended at various stages, but still survives. The church building itself appears to have been renovated in the 1950s. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI OS/6/3/10/3 OS map, 1st rev. 1858, Down 10. 2 PRONI OS/2/3/10 OS map, 2nd ed. 1901, Down 10. Secondary sources 1 Norman Nevin ‘The Story of Comber’ (c.1980) [typescript in Comber library].

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

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

Evaluation

Two storey Presbyterian church of 1839 which though classical in form, has gothic window openings. Despite the two large extensions to the side and rear this church still retains an impressive presence in Killinchy Street and is of local interest.

General Comments

Date of Survey

02 July 1999