Central Methodist Church

CROOK AND WILLINGTON EMMERSON STREET NZ 13 NE (South side) 24/24 Central Methodist Church II*

Primitive Methodist Chapel, named and dated 1868 in pediment. Sandstone ashlar with pink granite columns flanking door; Welsh slate roof. Pedimented front of 2 storeys and 3 bays has moulded plinth; chamfered rusticated ground floor. 8 steps, the top one renewed, to central 4-leaf 8-panelled door and lunette in round-headed moulded keyed surround, recessed between attached columns with stone Corinthian capitals. Keyed, moulded round-headed surrounds to flanking aproned windows recessed in square panels. Double cyma recta ground-floor cornice, breaking forward over door, supports balustrades of first-floor windows, the central paired, which have low segmental heads and cord-moulded surrounds under bracketed drip-moulds with carved central finials. Deeply-moulded pediment on richly-carved cornice has sunken centre containing oval date-panel with cord-moulded frame and lily finial. Roof has 2 ogee-stopped ridge ventilators. Dwarf walls flanking steps have chamfered coping; wrought-iron handrails have down-curved ends. Interior: painted plaster above boarded dado; slender cast-iron columns with crocket capitals, support continuous gallery on 3 sides, with cast-iron bombe balustrade which has ivy-leaf decoration in 4 petals on circle motif; similar more slender posts in gallery. Large panelled pulpit with side steps in front of organ which is set in moulded arch on Corinthian pilasters. Flanking panelled wood screens to minister's and choir's vestries. Iron balustrades on rear gallery stairs in entrance foyer with tiled floor. Ceiling with moulded decoration is deeply coved along the long axis; 3 ceiling roses contain pierced cones which formerly held light fittings suspended by ratchet control. Glass in simple floral patterns c.1925, as memorials to members of the congregation, and west window as First World War memorial.

Listing NGR: NZ1661535502

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 16 August 2017.