Gracehill
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Official name | Gracehill |
| Part of | Moravian Church Settlements |
| Criteria | iii, iv |
| Reference | 1468 |
| Inscription | 2015 (39thSession) |
| Extensions | 2024 |
Gracehillis avillageinCounty Antrim,Northern Ireland.It lies about 3 km fromBallymenaand is in thetownlandof Ballykennedy (fromIrish:Baile Uí Chinnéide).[1][2]It is part of theBorough of Mid & East Antrim.
The village is unique in Ireland as aMoravianplanned settlement. The name Gracehill reflects the religious aspirations of the founders. There were also similarly-named settlements in other countries, for exampleGracehillin the United States.
Gracehill was grantedUNESCOWorld Heritage sitestatus in 2024.[3][4]
History
[edit]The town now known as Gracehill was originally a plot of land in the Ballykennedytownlandthat was ruled by Lord O'Neill. Gracehill was established as aMoravianplanned settlement in 1746 by ReverendJohn Cennick.[5] Lord O'Neill agreed to lease about 200 plantation acres of land to Reverend John Cenwick which was divided into smaller portions among theMoraviansettlers (otherwise known as the Brethren). The Moravian settlers were German-speaking Protestants.[6]The building of Gracehill began on April 26, 1763. The Reverend John Cenwick had received much push-back in attempting to start building the settlement from the original tenants that Lord O'Neill had removed from the site. O'Neill had only given these tenants 12 months' notice to leave with no compensation for the loss of their lands. However, this push-back eventually ended and the first building to be created in Gracehill town was the Brethren's shop which the town creators thought was vital to the economic and overall prosperity of the town. This building was able to press forward as the Moravian town creators requested to borrow £2000 from the Moravian Directory which they received within 6 months of asking.[7]
In the year 1837, the village was a great success. The plan of the settlement was in a quadrangle shape and built outwards from the middle. The village consisted of 39 family residents who were all Moravian church members, most of which resided in small cottages. Each resident had sufficient land surrounding their property to growpotatoesand keep a farm animal. The village was decorated with shrubbery and bushes throughout with any new buildings created for specific religious purposes including two principal houses for unmarried brethren and sisters. The principal house for unmarried brethren was also used as a daily school for young boys and girls, including those who were not residents of Gracehill, and a boarding school for young gentlemen. The village also contained a small linen manufacturer to sustain itself.[8]
Conservation
[edit]Gracehill is aConservation Areaprotected under thePlanning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.[9] It has a number oflisted buildings,including the church and old school.
- Gracehill Church is a Grade A listed building
- The old Gracehill school building is a Grade B listed building.
The two-storey, 10-bay Georgian-style school dates back to 1765. In the 19th century, as well as teaching local children, it offered boarding facilities to those who did not reside in the village. This building was still holding classes until the year 1999, but became derelict due to dry rot and fire damage. A localBuilding Preservation Trustwas set up to attempt to turn this original school building into a historical centre for the town.[10]
World Heritage Site
[edit]Due to the strong historical background, the county council and the Gracehill Old School Trust rallied to have Gracehill recognised as Northern Ireland's secondWorld Heritage Site.The success of the bid sees the town ranked alongsideThe Giant's Causeway,but as a cultural rather than a natural site.[9] The site was nominated as part of a transnational effort led by the United States to achieve World Heritage status for Moravian Church settlements founded in the 18th century. Other sites included in the nomination wereBethlehem, Pennsylvania,[11]andHerrnhutin Germany, which joinedChristiansfeld,a Danish site which already enjoyed World Heritage status.
Education
[edit]- Gracehill Primary School
Sport
[edit]- Galgorm Castle Golf Club - This is a 220-acre, 18 hole golf course.Galgorm Castle Golf Club
Notable people
[edit]- Jane Lewers Gray(1796-1871), American poet and hymnwriter
- Albert E. S. Smythe(1861–1947), Canadian journalist
References
[edit]- ^"Gracehill".Culture Northern Ireland.Archived fromthe originalon 19 March 2007.Retrieved18 July2007.
- ^Placenames Database of Ireland
- ^"Antrim: Moravian village Gracehill awarded World Heritage status".BBC News.26 July 2024.Retrieved26 July2024.
- ^"Moravian Church Settlements".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.Retrieved28 July2024.
- ^Darley, Gillian (1975).Villages of vision.London: Architectural Press. pp. 101, 148.ISBN0-85139-705-0.OCLC1921555.
- ^"Moravian Story | City of Winston-Salem, NC".www.cityofws.org.Retrieved5 December2022.
- ^Hanna, Saumuel George (1967)."The Origin and Nature of the Gracehill Moravian Settlement, 1764-1855, with Special Reference to the Work of John Cennick in Ireland".Transactions of the Moravian Historical Society.21.Moravian Historical Society: 1–157 – via Jstor.
- ^"Library Ireland: Irish History, Genealogy and Culture".www.libraryireland.com.Retrieved9 December2021.
- ^ab"NI council backs bid to secure 'hugely significant' World Heritage Site status for Gracehill village".belfasttelegraph.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved25 November2021.
- ^"Gracehill old primary school".belfasttelegraph.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved25 November2021.
- ^"Pennsylvania gets third UNESCO World Heritage Site".Retrieved28 July2024.
