Protestant Hall, Main Street, Glenavy, County Antrim

Description on 24.11.2010 A two-storey, rectangular plan with frontispiece Victorian hall dated 1870, built to designs by Robert McConnell. Located in the centre of Glenavy town, opposite Glenavy Methodist Church (HB19/01/008). Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tile; overhanging eaves with replacement uPVC soffits and replacement barge boards; originally added c.1970; replacement uPVC rainwater goods throughout. Smooth render walling with yellow-brick pilasters, plinth course, surrounds, corbel and string course. Rubble masonry with red brick dressings to north elevation. 1/1 round-headed arched timber sliding sash windows embraced by an ordered surround of moulded bricks. Replacement timber double door with semi-circle fan-light over having similar surrounds to windows and additional keyblock. The principal gable end faces east and is symmetrically arranged in Italianate style. There are three openings to each floor; to centre, the principal entrance is surmounted by a rectangular panel inscribed ‘Glenavy’ and a rose window, all contained within a double height arch formed from Giant order brick pilasters and archivolt; there is a round-arched-headed window to either side at each floor. Corners are articulated by twinned Giant order pilasters with plain entablature; the whole arrangement is bisected by a rendered fascia inscribed “PROTESTANT HALL”, with diamond pointed panels to outer pilasters. The date ‘1870’ is affixed to the gable apex. The north elevation is four windows wide with pilaster arrangement wrapping around east corner; square-headed (blocked up) to ground floor; round-headed 1/1 sliding sash to first floor. Remains of a brick chimney flue. The rear gable is smooth rendered; single window opening to the ground floor; blocked up. The south elevation is four windows wide smooth rendered with alterations to the existing openings on the ground floor. uPVC replacement window to the far right first floor. Setting: Set back from the building line of the main thoroughfare with space between adjacent buildings either side. The front of the site is bounded with a rendered wall with a mild steel gate centrally located with five-pointed star; rubble masonry to the rear and sides with rendered piers to the south. Modern housing development encompassing the south and east; new housing development to the west adjacent to the Methodist Church (HB19/01/008); two-storey mixed use pitched roof buildings to the north Roofing: Natural slate Walling: Smooth render, yellow brick/rubble masonry, red brick Windows: 1/1 timber sliding sash RWG: uPVC replacemen Description on 12.04.2010 is as for 24.11.2010 except for the following changes. All of the windows that were previously timber sliding sash have been changed to uPVC fixed or top hung type. The verge and eaves soffits have also been changes to uPVC as have the rain water goods. The downpipes have had protective galvanised steel channels added.