Whiteabbey Presbyterian Church, 602 Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT37 0SN

Whiteabbey Presbyterian Church

A substantial Presbyterian church located on the prominent Shore Road in Whiteabbey, the building dates from 1833 in its original form but underwent extensive renovation around 1900, resulting in a High Victorian Italianate style structure with composite orders and ornate plasterwork. The church stands as a significant example of late Victorian ecclesiastical architecture, with well-preserved detailing and retained character.

The detached double-height building follows a cruciform plan with a lean-to extension to the south-west corner, abutted to the north and west by a modern hall. Walls are finished in ruled-and-lined render over a stepped rendered plinth with rendered quoins. Roofs are pitched and slated with corbelled masonry verges and chimney stacks to the transepts.

The principal elevation faces east and features a breakfront porch on the left and a square tower with cupola to the right. The breakfront is divided into three parts, each bay containing round-arched openings with moulded impost and archivolt with keystone. Ground floor openings hold double-leaf timber panelled entrance doors with fanlights. The bays are divided by paired pilasters with ornate Ionic capitals and garland detailing on plinth, surmounted by frieze and cornice. At first floor level, each bay contains an oculus window with moulded surround, again divided by paired pilasters with Corinthian capitals, surmounted by a triangular pediment containing an oculus to its apex. The breakfront is flanked on each side by flat-roofed sections with rusticated quoins and cornice.

The tower is composed of three stages. The first stage is lined with rusticated quoins, terminating at parapet level with a cornice continuous from the breakfront. The second stage features paired pilasters supported on console brackets to the corners, with a single round-arched plainly glazed window to the centre, with rendered voussoirs and cavetto moulded surround. This stage terminates in cornice and frieze. The third stage has console bracket finials to the corners and consists of an octagonal bell tower with pilasters to each corner, surmounted by frieze and cornice, with a copper cupola to the top.

Windows throughout are leaded stained glass; those at ground floor are square-headed, whilst first-floor windows are round-arched, set within recessed double-height round-arched arcades where the design permits. The south elevation is seven windows wide, comprising from left to right the chancel, transept, nave and breakfront. The left bay contains a single window to first floor and a round-arched-headed timber panelled double-leaf door to ground floor. The transept gable end adjoins to the right and is two windows wide. The east elevation of the transept contains one window. The nave at centre is three windows wide, with two bays to the left each having a single double-height window. The right bay, forming the end bay of the breakfront, contains a single round-arched window to both ground and first floors. A single-storey lean-to boiler house with louvered door adjoins the east elevation. The west elevation is completely abutted by the modern hall. The north elevation mirrors the south. The west elevation of the tower matches its east elevation, with a blind window to the second stage and a square-headed door to ground floor. The north elevation of the tower includes an additional round-arched leaded stained glass window to first floor level, with a modern link block to the hall adjoining the right bay.

Windows feature leaded stained glass throughout, with cast iron rainwater goods. The roof is natural slate.

Historical Background

According to the Ordnance Survey Memoirs dated 1839, James Boyle recorded that the Presbyterian meeting house at Whiteabbey was built in 1833 by subscription at a cost of £905, with an additional £84 8s for enclosing and improving the ground intended as a burial ground, which consisted of approximately three roads planted with forest trees and shrubs. The bell, costing £16, came from Glasgow. Boyle noted that the style was Grecian and Doric with a neat tower surmounted by a belfry and dome, and that this was claimed to be the first Presbyterian meeting house since the Reformation in Ireland to be ornamented with a spire or dome. The building arose from the need to serve the growing population attracted by local manufacturing and due to the distance from any other place of worship. The site was granted by Henry Lyons Esquire of Old Park.

According to Synod records, religious services in Whiteabbey began in 1831 in a local school house to serve the growing population, as no churches existed between Carrickfergus and Belfast. Rev. Dr Cooke championed the erection of a church in the area. The population voted and decided that the congregation should be Presbyterian. The first minister, William Campbell, was ordained in the church in November 1833. The original meeting house was designed by architects Miller, Smith, Duff, Jackson and McGuigan.

The church appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1833. The Townland Valuation of 1834 records the Presbyterian Meeting House valued at £15 17s 0d. Griffiths Valuation of 1857 records the Presbyterian Church, yard and National School with a total value of £80 0s 0d. Valuation Revisions from 1863 onwards show the value increased to £90 0s 0d, with the addition of a session house, a value which remained unchanged through subsequent valuations, the latest dated 1901.

The church underwent extensive renovation in 1900 under the ministry of Rev. Robert K Hanna at a cost of £5000, to designs by architect Nicholas Fitzsimmons, with building work carried out by contractors Stewart. This renovation introduced the High Victorian Italianate style evident in the present structure.

Setting

The church is set within church grounds, with a modern hall of no architectural interest to the north and an outbuilding to the south-east. The outbuilding features a pitched and slated roof with simple verges, roughcast walling with rendered quoins, and windows now blocked but still evident from visible cills. The church is bounded to the road by rubble walling to the south and east, abutted by modern rendered walling supporting square gate pillars and steel railing.