First Presbyterian Church (Non Subscribing), Glebe Road, Dunmurry, Co. Antrim, BT17 0PN

First Presbyterian Church (Non Subscribing), Dunmurry

This Grade A listed building is an eighteenth-century Georgian church of considerable architectural and historical importance, located on the Glebe Road in Dunmurry at the junction of Lenwood Drive, on the north side of the Belfast to Dublin Railway adjacent to the level crossing.

The church was built between 1760 and 1779, though the dating of the building presents an interesting historical puzzle. A plaque on the front elevation currently reads "This house was rebuilt at the expense of the congregation of Dunmurry, 1719", but documentary evidence from photographs dating to around 1970 and Ordnance Survey memoirs from circa 1835 indicate the plaque was originally inscribed with the date 1779. The architectural proportions and style, together with the use of Gibbs surrounds, strongly confirm a date later than 1719. The building is tentatively attributed to Belfast architect Roger Mulholland. A date stone on the rear of the building inscribed "Anno Christi, 1714, R Georgy RJ" may derive from the original meeting house. The congregation itself was first founded in 1676.

The building is a single-storey structure with gallery level and rectangular plan form, with a two-storey subservient brick rendered return to the rear. The principal east-facing elevation is symmetrically arranged. The walling is of brown and black random rubble stone with much galletting, with sandstone plinth and eaves course. The roofing comprises a large, steep hipped slated roof with clay ridge tiles and cast iron rainwater goods throughout.

The windows are large, single-glazed, timber-framed, round-headed arched openings with Gibbs surrounds and small consoles beneath the cills. The sash windows vary between 6/6, 3/6 and round-headed 3/1 configurations. The front doors are double six-panelled timber doors painted black, with Gibbs surrounds featuring triple keystones and pediments. Two doors are positioned either side of centre and are served by six single-width steps with shoe scrapers at either end. Three large windows occupy the centre and flanking positions. The central window is late Victorian stained glass by Campbell Brothers of Belfast, dated 1904, depicting a landscape. Above each door is a sandstone surround tablet inscribed with details of the Reverend and the date of completion.

The south-facing elevation has one centrally located large window matching those of the principal elevation. The north-facing facade replicates exactly the south elevation. The west-facing rear elevation comprises a two-storey over basement return projecting westerly from the centre of the main facade. The walling to the rear is of inferior quality stone and craftsmanship and is rendered in rough cast. Two high-level Gibbs surround windows flank the rear return, matching the style of the principal facade. The ground floor windows have enormous stone cills and thick stone surrounds painted grey. The first floor of the return is a historical addition to the existing ground floor and is narrower in width, resulting in a course of lead flashing between floors. The roof to the return is hipped adjacent to the existing church roof with a gable end facing west. A six-panelled timber rear door with sandstone surrounds is located on the north face of the return. Access to the heating chamber is via stone steps running parallel along the south-facing facade of the return. Centrally located on the gabled elevation of the return is a chimney stack with two clay pots. A stone tablet with inscription is located midway below the chimney.

The interior is light in colour and material, featuring simple joinery and plasterwork elevated by detailed joinery work around the pulpit area. The central stained glass window in the front elevation, in memory of members of the McCance family, locally linen merchants, was erected around 1900. The building has largely retained all of its original essential character, and the survival of historical fabric both internally and externally is of great historic interest and value.

According to Ordnance Survey maps, the building as it appears on the first edition 1833 maps is illustrated with a rectangular plan form. It was not until the 1859 Ordnance Survey maps that the vestry to the rear first appears. The Ordnance Survey memoirs state "Attached to the rear of the meeting house stands a session house, 1-storey high and slated", confirming that the heating chamber below and the additional storey were later additions, though the dates are not confirmed. The Annual Revisions from 1862–1922 show no changes in the tenancy of the Unitarian Meeting House or the landlordship of the Marquis of Donegal.

The church is set within its own grounds, which are richly vegetated with flowers, shrubs and trees. A rough cast stone wall runs along the perimeter of the site, with two large gate piers and modern iron gates fixed at the northeast corner, accessing a stone driveway leading to the front steps. A graveyard surrounds the south and west elevations. The church hall is located to the south side of the site, and modern dwellings bound the northern site perimeter. The building enjoys a good setting to the front with an open grassed area and some mature trees. The robustness of the exterior is offset by the elegance of the interior.

The church has group value with the former manse to the south. The building contributes positively to the character of the surrounding area.