"A Church building of very unusual design, 'a thing of beauty' admired by all who see it, and acclaimed far and wide by experts as a fine example of the best in Irish Church architecture."
This oval Church was built in 1790 on the site of the former meeting-house whch had been demolished after it had fallen into a bad state of repair. The land had originally been granted to the congregation (founded 1655) by Rose, Marchioness of Antrim, only daughter of Sir Henry O'Neill of Shane's Castle, who was agreat friend of Prebyterianism. The new church, built of brownish basalt rubble stones, was completed at a cost of £600
Bearing in mind the close ties between Presbyterianism in Ulster and Scotland at that time, it is possible that the oval design of the building is linked to that of St. Andrew's Church in Edinburgh which was built about six years earlier. Sir Charles Brett however considers it more likely that Roger Mulholland, the architest of the ocal-shaped First Presbyterian Church in Rosemary Street, Belfast had some hand in it.
In 1829, to meet the need for extra accommodation, a gallery carried on cast iron flouted columns was added and at the same time a hexagonal porch topped by a graceful bell-tower was erected, all at a cost of £1,054. The gallery, accessed by stairs from the porch had, at that time, very little headroom and was very dak, being lighted only by the tips of the pointed windows.
In 1929 extensive alterations to the church were carried out at a total cost of £6,200.
- The walls and roof were raised and 18 oculus windows were inserted, giving more light and more headroom in the gallery. Matching stones for this was brought in by horse and cart from derelict cottages near the shores of Lough Neagh. So well was the building work done that it is only by looking very, very carefully that one can see the join between the old sonework of 1790 and that of 1929
- A nicely curved minister's room was added to the read of the building, with internal stairs leading up to the pulpit.
- The ground floor was completely reseated to give the pattern that we have today.
In 1949 the pipe ogran was installed. Prior to that, worship had been led, in the traditional Presbyterian manner, by a precentor with a tuning fork or pitch pipe. No organ pipes are visible as they have been installed behind the large oval grille above the pulpit.
The installation of the organ necessitated changes to the choir area: the old enclosed choir box was replaced by rows of choir pews and the pulpit was reduced in size and set closer to the wall.
In 1956/57 the secton's cottage, which had partially blocked the front view of the church, was demolished and a new boundary wall built using stone salvaged from the ruins of Ballymena Castle. Sandstone from the castle's chimneys was used to build the gate pillars.
Since 1974 the church has been statuatorily listed (Grade A) by the Historic Buildings Council, as a building of special architectural and historic interest which contributes much to the character of the Randalstown community and to Northern Ireland's heritage.
An extensive programme of repair and renovation (1987/89) was partly funded by a grant from the Historic Buildings Council. The oculus windows were renewed, the old stained glass windows were refurbished, and a bell which had once called parishioners to worship in the South of Ireland, was installed in the bell tower which had been awaiting it for about 160 years.
In 1996 hte fixed seating layout of the choir was altered and two pews removed, one on each side of the central aisle, to give a larger and more flexible open area, better suited to the changing needs of modern worship.
OTHER POINTS TO NOTE
- The original building is mainly of basalt rubblestones of random shape and size, whereas the porch is built of dressed blocks of basalt
- Galleting. In some places small stones are stuck in the mortar, particularly in the lower courses of the main building.
- Above the front foor of the porch there is an interesting oval window and beneath is a stone panel with the inscription, "Built in 1790, Thomas Henry, Minister."
- A handsome double staircase sweeps up from the front door of the porch to the gallery.
- Despite its oval shape the interior of the church is in keeping with the traditional Presbyterian T-plan (central pulpit on south wall facing hte main aisle and with a subsidiary doorway at each end of the cross aisle.)
- Some pews, particularly in the gallery, but a few on the ground fllor, still have doors, reminiscent of the old family box pews of yesteryear.