Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB19/02/003

Address :
Dundrod Presbyterian Church Dundrod Road Dundrod County Antrim BT29 4JN

Townland:
Dundrod

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
09/08/1983 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:
128/12

IG Ref:
J2143 7573

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Owner Category

Church - Presbyterian

Exterior Description And Setting

A double-height symmetrical Presbyterian meeting-house, dated 1827 and located west of Dundrod Road, Dundrod. Square on plan with single-storey modern extension to rear. Hipped natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is pebbled-dash render with smooth render plinth, quoins and platband between floors. Windows are replacement throughout; shallow elliptical-headed timber-framed lattice leaded stained glass, round-headed to principal elevation. The principal elevation faces east and is symmetrically arranged with three openings to each floor. Central entrance comprises double-leaf five panelled timber door with leaded glass fanlight, set into painted masonry segmental-headed door surround with fluted pilasters and moulded archivolt. Plaster datestone in moulded surround located above door reads: 'Presbyterian Meeting House / Erected / A.D.1827' The south elevation is four windows wide to each floor. The west elevation has a large leaded and stained glass oculus to left and right at first floor (not original). Single-storey modern extension to ground floor. The north elevation is four windows wide to each floor. Setting: Positioned at the centre of a square site in a rural location to the west of Dundrod Road, adjacent to a crossroads. Surrounding graveyard with headstones dating from the early 19th century. Curved entrance wall with tall gate piers, rendered, and cast-iron gate to east; enclosed by hedgerow to all sides. Roof: Hipped natural slate Walling: Pebbled dash over smooth render Windows: Variety of leaded stained glass RWG: Cast-iron

Architects

Stevenson, Samuel

Historical Information

This Meeting House which is situated outside the village of Dundrod appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1832-33 as a square shaped building recorded simply as ‘Meeting House.’ The Townland Valuation records this building as a 1A class ‘Presbyterian Meeting House 59 ft by 44 ft and 21.5 ft high. One third was deducted from its valuation due to ‘want of interior finish;’ the total value was settled at £12. 14s. In 1833 the Ordnance Survey Memoirs described the building as ‘a large commodious Presbyterian meeting house … built in 1826 in the Townland of Dundrod, the inhabitants of the parish being principally of that persuasion.’ In 1836 a second report went into greater detail explaining that the Meeting House was the only public building in the entire parish of Tullyrusk, ‘a plain but neat roughcast house,’ and that since the Townland Valuation it had been ‘very neatly and comfortably fitted up internally, having a good gallery and containing accommodation for 800 persons.’ The writer informs us that the Meeting House was erected in 1827 at the cost of £1,100 which was raised by private subscription. This Meeting House was the first church building of any denomination to be erected in the Townland of Dundrod, and also in the entire Parish of Tullyrusk, although a ‘Ruin’ and ‘Graveyard’ appear in the neighbouring Townland of Tullyrusk. As a result the writers of the Ordnance Survey Memoirs note the great beneficial effect the erection of this church had upon the surrounding countryside: “This event has produced a most perceptible change in the moral habits of the people as, from its retired situation and distance from a place of worship, the people had been very much neglected; and no greater proof of this can be adduced than the fact of many Episcopalians having since then become Presbyterians and many improper practices being since then discontinued such as drinking at wakes and cock fighting, now confined to the Roman Catholics.” By the period of Griffiths Valuation the ‘Presbyterian Meeting House and Offices’ were valued at £18. 5s., the rise in value being attributable to the completion of the Church interior. By 1863 the Meeting House was valued at £25. and remained at this value until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1928. Kelly tells us that the Meeting House was indeed erected in 1827, and this can be seen on an inscription above the main entrance. He also tells us that the first Minister of the Church was the Rev. William Loughridge who was ordained at Dundrod in March 1829 (Kelly, p. 151). In a contribution to Charles Watson’s Glenavy: Past and Present (1892), the Rev. Robert McBride, incumbent at Dundrod, recorded that Henry Cooke, the chief Presbyterian leader in Ulster at that time, preached the opening ceremony on 31st August 1828. In July 1838 Rev. Loughridge resigned as minister and was replaced by the Rev. William Magill who was the incumbent for almost 40 years before resigning due to poor health. His successor the Rev. John Clarke was ordained on 16th May 1876 but resigned three years later to join a new Church. His successor Rev. John McConnell became minister on 22 June 1880 and during his incumbency built a Manse at Dundrod for £1,000 before, once again in Dundrod’s history, resigning to serve elsewhere, this time in the Australian colonies. It was in 1884 that the Rev. Robert McBride was created Minister at Dundrod and in 1889 he renovated the interior of the church at a cost of £800; Samuel Stevenson, noted for erecting many Presbyterian Churches throughout Ulster, was employed as the architect (Watson, p. 3; Dictionary of Irish Architects). The Lisburn Herald records that on the 9th April 1913 a new Church Hall was erected in memory of the late Rev. Robert McBride, the architect being one Mr. James Hunter (Lisburn Herald – 12 Apr 1913). A war memorial was erected in the porch of the Church shortly after the Great War to commemorate those from the Church who served at the front. Included on the roll are 27 men from the Church including Capt. Rev. D. S. Corkey, a Chaplain to the forces and a Minister of Dundrod Church since 1911. A memorial font within the Church records that Rev. Corkey was Minister of Dundrod until 1924. A further memorial was erected to his successor Rev. David McKinney for his service at Dundrod between 1924 and 1967. In 1956 a round stained glass window was presented to the Church by the Dundrod Company of the Girls Brigade and in 1966 another round stained glass window was presented to the Church by a member of the congregation (Glenavy History). The Church was listed in 1983, and underwent renovation in 1993 (NIEA File). Kelly tells us that new halls were built in 2002 and that in May 2006 work commenced on an extensive renovation of the Church during which a new floor was installed, the drainage and heating systems were improved, an audio-visual system was installed and the front of the Church was remodelled. The Church was reopened and rededicated on 19th November 2006 (Kelly, p. 151). References: 1. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/59 – Field Map c.1830 2. PRONI VAL/1/B/173 – Townland Valuation 3. PRONI OS/6/1/59/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-33 4. PRONI OS/6/1/59/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858 5. PRONI OS/6/1/59/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901-1902 6. PRONI OS/6/1/59/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1921 7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/63 – Griffith’s Valuation 1859 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/16 A – Annual Revisions 1863-1879 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/16 B – Annual Revisions 1880-1894 10. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/16 C – Annual Revisions 1895-1908 11. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/16 D – Annual Revisions 1909-1928 12. The Lisburn Herald (1913) Secondary Sources 1. Kelly, D., ‘Lisburn’s rich church heritage: Churches and places of worship in the Lisburn city area’ Lisburn: Impression Print and Design, 2009. 2. Watson, C., ‘Glenavy: Past and present’ Belfast, Linenhall Works, 1892. NIEA File – HB19/02/003. Online Resources Glenavy History: http://www.glenavyhistory.com/ (Genealogy website). Dictionary of Irish Architects: http://www.dia.ie/works/view/49788

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

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

Evaluation

A double-height symmetrical Presbyterian meeting-house with hipped roof, dated 1827, displaying good proportions and situated in a rural location west of Dundrod Road, Dundrod. Architectural detailing is plain, typical of the austerity preferred by the early Presbyterian church. Some historic fabric remains on the interior, including carved wood panel ceiling to main hall, although the timber replacement windows detract from the churches character. Graveyard contains a variety of styles of headstones, some dating to the early 19th century. This is a good example of its type and contributes to the architectural heritage of the area and is of social interest to the local community.

General Comments

Date of Survey

26 August 2010