Former Methodist Church, 41 Church Street, Antrim, BT41 4AY

Former Methodist Church, 41 Church Street, Antrim

This mid-Victorian former Methodist church, built in 1867, retains most of its original features and is of definite architectural and historic interest. The building was constructed to replace an earlier Methodist chapel of 1805 on the same site, and was later converted to a public library sometime after 1970.

The building is of rectangular plan, constructed in a plain Gothic style. It comprises a gabled main structure partly rendered and partly of rubble stonework, with a projecting gabled porch. The main entrance faces south.

The south elevation displays a 3-bay main gable. The smooth cement rendered walling is painted and features a projecting plinth with plain projecting gable copings and a tall gable finial in the form of a square column with moulded base and foliated capital surmounted by a pyramidal cap. Gothic arched windows flank the central porch, each set in moulded surrounds with moulded drips; these lower windows are currently boarded up. Above the porch is a circular rose window which originally contained tracery of multi-circled pattern, with circular drip moulding over the upper circumference extending horizontally at the sides to terminate in foliated stops; the lower circumference has raised block surrounds. Above the rose is a rectangular datestone inscribed '1867', with a small blind oculus above it in the apex, surmounted by a semi-circular moulded drip with foliated stops. The porch gable is rendered to match the main gable, with similar plinth and copings. The Gothic arched doorway contains a pair of rectangular timber vertically boarded doors surmounted by a similarly boarded tympanum, approached by a concrete ramp and two steps up to a concrete paved doorstep.

The west elevation comprises a single storey, 4-bay side wall of random rubble basalt built to courses with red brick dressings to windows and shaped yellow brick dressing to the plinth. The roof is of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with PVC gutter and downpipe. Windows are two-centred arched with timber frames, currently not yet glazed.

The rear elevation comprises a main rear gable of roughly coursed basalt rubble with a small red brick dressed ocular opening to the apex containing louvers. Projecting at ground level is a later single storey addition with lean-to slated roof and wet dash rendered walls. Concrete steps on the west side lead up to a rectangular doorway, now boarded up. The north face of this addition contains three windows: one sashed window with 1 over 1 panes and horns, and two modern fixed light windows. Cast iron rainwater goods are in damaged condition.

The east elevation has similar roofing and walling to the west side, with windows containing two horizontal divisions in timber, currently not yet glazed.

The building stands facing the main road but set well back from it. The front area comprises a tarmac driveway leading to the front of the building, flanked on each side by grass verges. The front boundary is formed by a plain gatescreen. The boundary to the east is formed partly by neighbouring buildings and partly by a basalt rubble wall with concrete copings. To the rear is a small unkempt garden; to the west is a rear tarmac car park. The building lies within a conservation area.