First Presbyterian Church, 43 Abbey Street, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52 1EX

First Presbyterian Church, Abbey Street, Coleraine

This is a plain, rendered Neo-classical Presbyterian Meeting House of double height and single-cell form, built between 1827 and 1829 to designs by Patrick Nugent, a little-known architect practising from offices in Strabane. The building was erected on a site in what was then called Dirty Lane (subsequently Meeting House Place), formerly an orchard, granted by the Irish Society after they decided to demolish the congregation's previous church at the junction of Cross Lane and Abbey Street — the street that gave its name to Meetinghouse Street, later Abbey Street. The first Presbyterian congregation in Coleraine dates from 1643, established by Scottish chaplains and soldiers quartered in the town to quell the 1641 rebellion.

The foundation stone was laid in 1827 by John Beresford and the building was completed in 1829 at a total cost of £1,900, of which £200 was subscribed by the Irish Society. From the outset it was designed as a hall-type church with gallery, rectangular on plan. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs noted it as "well built" and accommodating 800 worshippers, situated in "a well-arranged courtyard screened from the street by a low wall and iron rail."

The simple rectangular form was given greater architectural presence in 1833 by the addition of a single-storey tetrastyle Doric portico with triangular pediment projecting from the principal north-facing elevation, at a cost of £100, half of which was again subscribed by the Irish Society. The portico was described by the architectural historian Girvan as "excellently detailed." The church is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1830, and by the second edition of 1849–50 it had acquired both the portico and a rear extension. A lecture hall to the rear is shown on the third edition map of 1904. In the Townland Valuation of 1828–40, dimensions are recorded and the meeting house is valued at £27 18s 8d; by Griffith's Valuation of 1856–64 the extended building is valued at £80.

The exterior walling to the principal elevation is painted ruled-and-lined render on a painted projecting base course, with similar strip quoins. The remaining elevations are pebble-dashed on a cement-rendered base. Window openings are round-headed at first-floor level and segmental-headed at ground floor, with rendered and painted reveals, slim projecting sills, and moulded architraves with projecting keystones unless otherwise noted. Windows are generally modern leaded and stained glass set in painted masonry or concrete frames, with storm glazing attached.

The principal north elevation is symmetrical and has windows either side of a central breakfront bay, above which the single-storey Doric portico with triangular pediment projects. At the centre is a large round-headed doorway with a moulded architrave and projecting keystone, encasing a deeply recessed pair of modern timber and glazed double doors, with a recent stained-glass fanlight above and plain-glass round-arched full-height timber-framed windows to each side, newly inserted. The roof is hipped slate behind a capped blocking course on the north elevation, with grey and black angled ridge tiles, and replacement metal ogee rainwater goods to overhanging eaves mounted on plain timber boxed eaves, with decorative hoppers.

The east elevation is seven openings wide with windows on each floor, except at the far-left first-floor position. These windows have plain cemented reveals and concrete sills, with a stained timber frame to the far-left window. There is a chamfered cut-away to the middle portion of the left corner. The south elevation has three squared uPVC windows across the upper floor and a modern timber and glazed door to the right side; the remaining portion of this elevation is abutted by a single-storey link block connecting the main church to the halls and ancillary rooms. Two plain timber doors — now internal — to the centre and left side connect the church to this link block. The west elevation is similar to the east but is six openings wide at first floor (with the far-right window infilled to the lower half) and four openings wide at ground floor. The right side is abutted by a single-storey pitched extension and the three remaining ground-floor openings are now internal, comprising a modern timber double-leaf door with windows on each side, that to the far right dating from the early 20th century; the walling in this area is replacement timber panelling.

The boundary treatment along the south-west side of Abbey Street consists of a dwarf rendered and painted wall topped by decorative cast-iron railings, punctuated by matching gates supported on slender squared-and-capped cast-iron piers, all dating from around 1854 and replacing earlier ironwork. These were supplied by McCullagh & Co of Glasgow. The north vehicle entrance has painted and capped masonry piers with modern metal gates. The church is connected to the former manse (listed separately) to the north-east by a painted and rendered screen wall, pebble-dashed to the rear, pierced by a round-arched opening.

A former manse of around 1858–59, built by contractor Samuel Kirkpatrick and attributed to architect Simon Kirkpatrick, stands a short distance to the south and is connected to the east elevation. It is finished in a style similar to the church, with canted bays and a loose interpretation of an unpedimented Ionic doorcase.

The listing extends to the church itself, the boundary wall to the north-east, and the gates and railings.

The building has a lengthy history of alteration and renovation. Internal renovations were carried out in 1880 under the town surveyor W J Given. An organ was installed in 1906, reflecting the increasing acceptance of music within Presbyterian congregations. According to Girvan, the church was "insensitively" modernised in 1966, including what he described as the "extension of the blocking course well beyond an acceptable limit." The building was listed in 1977. In 1987 a £75,000 renovation scheme was designed by W Hunter, which included the provision of a Fellowship Lounge between the main church and the Legate Hall, renovation of the halls, choir room, minister's room and toilets, and restoration of the front of the church. In 1995 a further scheme costing £140,000 renovated the Halls, Fellowship Lounge, Youth Centre and the church itself. In 2005–06 a major £860,000 renovation project was undertaken, involving significant structural repairs, alteration and extension of the gallery, installation of a new ceiling, a larger vestibule and new pews, improvements to the halls and fellowship lounge, and restoration of the organ to its original design. The architects were R Robinson & Sons of Ballymoney and the building contractors were S M Oliver and Son.

The Legate Hall, named after a former minister, was built in 1960. The former manse adjacent to the church was bought back by the congregation at the same time and brought into use as a youth centre. The lecture hall to the rear of the church was renamed the McCaldin Hall in 1961 in memory of the minister who built the present church. Valuer's notes from the 1930s record the building with an attached lecture hall, external outbuildings and WCs, and note that the former manse was at that time in use as a free library.

A connecting complex of ancillary accommodation abutting the south and west elevations is of mid-to-late 20th century date, with pebble-dashed or rendered walls, slated pitched roofs, generally uPVC windows and plain timber and glazed doors, and is considered to be of no further architectural interest. Together with the extensive tarmac car parking on all sides, this ancillary development somewhat compromises the historic setting of the church. The character of the interior has been further eroded by successive refurbishments. Despite these factors, the church remains a significant example of early 19th century Presbyterian Meeting House design and continues to serve as an important social centre for the local community. It sits in an urban setting on the eastern banks of the River Bann, a short distance south of The Diamond in Coleraine, surrounded by a variety of neighbouring buildings including houses, offices and shops.