The Memorial Church (Presbyterian) by W. Smith

The Memorial Church (Presbyterian)

W. Smith

1829

May Street, Belfast

The plaque over the entrance declares: "The Memorial Church erected A, D. 1879 for Rev. H. Cooke, D. D. LL.D. in recognition of his eminent and successful labors for the ta[___?] against the prevailing errors of the times.

As the plaque above the lintel proclaims, the church was built specifically for Dr. Henry Cooke, leader of the Evangelical wing of the Belfast's Presbyterians. The architect of the memorial doorway, constructed in 1872, was John Boyd.

Photograph and text Philip V. Allingham 2006

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

"Architectural taste in Belfast at the end of the 1820s was becoming more sophisticated, more various, and more subject to outside influences. The next few years saw ventures not only in the Tudor [e. g., St. Malachy's Roman Catholic Church], but also in the Greek Revival and the Palladian styles.

"One of the most satisfying of these is the May Street Presbyterian Church, bult in 1829 to the designs of W. Smith. Both inside and outside, it is a really handsome Palladian example of the Presbyterian taste for the solidly classical. There is a fine brick and stucco pedimented facade, with a recessed central entrance bay between 'Scamozzian Ionic' columns and pilasters arranged in antis. The contrasting patterns of painted stucco architraves and the ripe brickwork are beautifully judged, though the church would look better if the stucco were painted paler and oftener." — Brett, pp. 17-18

References

Brett, C. E. B. Buildings of Belfast, 1700-1914. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1967.

Last modified 16 September 2006