Railway Street Presbyterian Church

History

The congregation was officially re-named Railway Street Presbyterian Church in 1894, although the name appears to have been in popular use for at least a decade before that.

Building work was undertaken during the ministry of the Very Rev Dr Robert Hamilton, who became Moderator of the General Assembly in 1924, retired on 6 May 1930 and remained Senior Minister of the congregation until his death on 12 October 1935. A new lecture hall was built in 1887, side galleries were added to the church in 1897, the EMB Hall at Hilden followed in 1912 and the Brownlee School with a teacher's residence in 1913. Electric lighting was introduced to the church building in 1929.

Hymn singing accompanied by a pipe organ was introduced in 1908 and the 1st Lisburn company of the Boys' Brigade was founded in 1909. Evangelistic missions with local and international speakers were held regularly during the same ministry. A history of the congregation, Footprints on the Sands of Time, was published in 2008.

Notable features

Two memorial windows in the church commemorate Mrs Martha Lillian Hamilton, who died on 7 February 1928, and the Very Rev Dr Robert Hamilton, who died in 1935. Both are buried in the Hamilton family plot in Hillsborough Road Cemetery, Lisburn.