Presbyterian Church, Fountain Street, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 6AW

Presbyterian Church, Fountain Street, Downpatrick

This is a one and a half storey hipped roof T-shaped Presbyterian church situated on the east side of Fountain Street, with an elevated graveyard to the rear. The building was originally constructed in 1826 as a largely rectangular structure following a split in the Downpatrick congregation over the Non-subscription and Arian controversy. The original building, described in 1836 as "a plain, substantial stone building measuring 60 feet by 35 and capable of accommodating about 400", cost £660-18-9½ to construct and had no gallery or ornaments. Though proposals for a new church were discussed in 1900, the structure survived unaltered until 1954, when it was extended and completely remodelled to designs by Ferguson and McIlveen. These renovations were completed in early 1955 at a cost of £22,665, giving the church its present neo-Georgian form while retaining the overall character of the original building.

The walls are finished in painted roughcast with a smooth rendered plinth. The hipped roof has an overhang covered with natural slate, with plain modillions to the soffits and cast iron rainwater goods. A small decorative octagonal copper fleche ventilation detail sits to the front of the centre hip.

The west face of the west wing is symmetrical, featuring panelled double doors at the top of a modern flight of steps with wrought iron guardrails. The doors have a plain fanlight and are flanked with fine sandstone pilasters with blocking course and pediment. The panel directly above the fanlight is inscribed with the date MCMLV (1955). The south face has a 6/6 sash window to the left of the ground floor and a roundel feature with smooth cement band to the first floor. To the right is a tall semicircular-headed window with multiple Georgian panes, fixed but with two of the Georgian panes as opening vents. The north face has a roundel feature to the first floor on the right side and one tall window to the left.

The north face of the north wing has a small hipped roof projection on the left side with one 2/4 sash window to the right of centre and a smooth cement band to its north face. The west face has a plain timber door with a plain fanlight. The east face has two sash windows. The west face of the main north wing has one tall window. The north face has one tall window to the right side of the return. The east face has one tall stained glass window to the right and a tall buttress to the left.

The east wing is the smallest. Its north face has one steel sheeted door to the left side. The east face has one central 2/4 window above which is a panel recording the original date of construction, 1826. The south face has one small 2/2 window to the left side.

The south wing has a small hipped roof projection on the right side to its south face. The east face of the projection has two 6/6 windows. The south face of the return has one 2/4 window to the left side while the west face has a panelled door to the left side, reached by a short flight of steps and a disabled ramp. The east face of the south wing proper has a buttress to the right and a tall window to the left. The south face has a tall window with Georgian glazing to the left side. The west face has one tall window.

To the rear of the church stands a stone mausoleum of unusual form, featuring a square plan with a concave pyramidal roof, which probably dates from the early 19th century.