Molesworth Street Presbyterian Church, 69 Molesworth Street, Cookstown, Co Tyrone, BT80 8PA

Molesworth Street Presbyterian Church is a Grade B1 listed building at 69 Molesworth Street in Cookstown, County Tyrone. It is a detached rendered two-storey Presbyterian church built circa 1835, set back from Molesworth Street in the north-eastern suburbs of Cookstown. The building is rectangular in plan with a single-storey lean-to extension to the rear and a two-storey church hall to the rear south. A manse, also built during the same period, is located to the east.

The church is classical in style and represents an important element of early nineteenth-century ecclesiastical heritage in Cookstown, with strong connections to the local Presbyterian communities. The front north elevation is gable-ended and symmetrical, facing onto the street. The ground floor features a square-headed doorway at the centre with a leaded coloured glass window to each side. The door has pilasters to each side with carved console brackets and cut-stone base plinths. The console brackets support a projecting entablature and carved segmental-headed cornice. The reveals of the doorway contain carved stone raised and fielded panels, and the door is timber. The ground floor windows are square-headed with chamfered reveals and pilasters to each side. The pilasters have carved console brackets set on cut-stone sills, supporting a projecting entablature with a triangulated cornice. The upper level windows are round-headed with leaded coloured glass and a continuous sill stringcourse. Carved stone surrounds frame the windows with a carved central keystone over each opening. A continuous projecting stringcourse runs above the first floor windows. A carved stone roundel inscribed 'A.D. 1835' is positioned in the tympanum, with a decorative rounded ventilator at its centre. A carved dentilled course and projecting cornice are present at the eaves. A rendered bell-cote with a projecting cornice and finial to the apex stands at the centre of the north gable.

The side west and east elevations have square-headed windows to the ground floor and round-headed windows to the upper level, all with stained glass and cut-stone sills. The rear south elevation has no openings. External walls to the front elevation are lined with rusticated render to the ground floor and plain render to the upper levels, with a cut-stone plinth at the base. The side and rear elevations are plain unpainted render with rendered quoins to edges. The roofs are artificial slate with cast-iron rainwater goods.

The rear north-west extension is a single-storey lean-to with an assortment of uPVC windows and doors, artificial slate roofing, and a plain rendered chimney.

The church is set back from Molesworth Street behind a low squared rockfaced stone wall with cut-stone capping and cast-iron railings and gates. The building occupies a prominent location, emphasizing its considerable social significance. Double gates lead from the pavement to the main doorway via three cut-stone steps. A grass area lies to the front of the church with an extensive tarmac area surrounding it. The fine cast-iron railings and gates to the front are notable features.

The building was constructed by Cookstown's Third Presbyterian congregation. Although a date stone indicates 1835, the foundation stone was laid on 30th July 1835, but storm damage forced the builders to tear down and rebuild part of the walls shortly after completion. The church was not formally opened until 19th March 1837. It is mentioned in Lewis's 'Topographical Dictionary' of 1837, and an entry in the first valuation book, dating from circa 1838, describes the building as 'not finished' at that point. The manse to the east was built circa 1845 and was paid for by the then minister, John Knox Leslie. An insurance policy was taken out on the minister's life to cover the outlay, with the congregation assuming responsibility for payment of the premiums. Both the church and the manse are shown on the revised Ordnance Survey map of 1857. In 1929, Cookstown Third Presbyterian Congregation united with the town's Second Congregation, which abandoned its church in Loy Street and relocated to this building.

The church remains well composed in its elementary classical attributes, though subject to a small number of modifications to the rear extension. It has considerable local interest and social, cultural and economic importance to the community.