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Summary

Description

John Burnet, 1869. Symmetrical classical church comprising 3-bay pedimented principal (NE) front, slightly advanced at 1st floor centre and extending into tall tower with crown spire. Quadrants flanking principal front, curving back to 3 x 5-bay hall with pedimented ends orientated NW-SE at right angle to entrance. 6-bay single storey church hall projecting from centre of rear elevation of hall with flanking square single storey wings in re-entrant angles. Stugged sandstone ashlar walls with polished ashlar arrises and details. Base course, band and string courses at ground and 1st floor window arch springer levels. Band course at eaves and corniced pediments at gables.

NE (PRINCIPAL) FRONT: stone steps, divided into 3 flights by square ashlar pedestals supporting ornate cast-iron lamp standards. Flight

at right of centre obscured by modern access ramp. 3 round-arched entrance doors comprising horizontally channelled pilasters with capitals and bases, continued around arch-head as voussoirs with panelled keystone at apex; central arch larger, triple keystone at apex with cornice and carving above. Round-arched windows at 1st floor outer bays, centre bay slightly advanced, extending through pedimented gable above with round-arched architraved niche at centre and flanking carved scrolled brackets.

Square TOWER above with matching faces. String course at base, engaged round-arched window with moulded surround above, circular architraved clock faces above, incised pilasters clasping corners with bases and bracketted capitals. Upper stage; round-arched belfry openings with architraved arch-head and sloping cills, containing paired louvered round-arched openings divided by colonnettes with circlets above; string course at springer level with flanking roundels. Band course above with heavy bracketted cornice. Crown spire at tower apex comprising obelisks at each corner over panelled dies, small round-arched window at centre of each face, extending upwards into octagonal base for spire with spiked ball finials at each corner, curved stone ribs forming spire with fluted and corniced drum at apex surmounted by lead finial.

NW (SIDE) ELEVATION: broad single bay to outer left, arcaded bipartite window at ground floor, single round-arched window centred above. 2-bay quadrant, curving forward to right, round-arched windows at ground floor, arcaded tripartite window at 1st floor, columns with bases and fluted capitals between. 3-bay pedimented gable end to hall at outer right. Round-arched windows at ground and 1st floors, bull?s-eye window centring tympanum.

SE (SIDE) ELEVATION: mirrored image of NW elevation.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: 5 round-arched windows, closely spaced at 1st floor.

6-pane timber windows with hoppers and translucent glass. 5 9-pane windows to rear of pulpit with stained glass depicting religious figures. 12-panel main entrance door with radial panelled infill to arch-head above. Matching flanking 4-panel doors with radial panelled infill at arch-heads. Grey slate roof, with bracketted timber eaves. Large piend-roofed timber ventilator over hall with curved NE end, semicircular louvered vents below bracketted timber eaves, and ornate cast-iron cresting at ridge. Profiled cast-iron gutters at eaves, cast-iron downpipes with hoppers. Single flue corniced wallhead stack with base and circular can at outer right of rear elevation. Wide ashlar skews at pedimented gables.

INTERIOR: Fine original decorative scheme surviving. Entrance vestibule; 2-leaf inner entrance doors with etched glass upper panels and fluted brass handles. Symmetrically disposed gallery stairs to left and right behind arcaded screens, supported at centre by paired square columns with decorative capitals on panelled plinths, ornate cast-iron lamps with etched glass globes within arches. Cantilevered stone dog-leg stairs with decorative timber handrail of turned spindles and newels with carved columns and ball finials. Panelled doorway to hall, 2-leaf door with etched glass oval panels and fluted brass handles, flanking war memorials with oak frames.

Raked timber U-plan gallery supported on cast-iron columns with capitals and circular timber bases, twin clocks set in panelling with decorative surrounds. Ground floor; raked timber pews, panelled fronts and sides, with vertically-boarded backs.

Substantial, classical, symmetrical timber organ case of 1895 by J J Burnet of centring NW (rear) wall, integral pulpit at centre. Perron staircase to pulpit with panelled base, strapwork balustrades, and newels surmounted by square capitals and obelisks. Corbelled and panelled pulpit base, with aedicule above comprising columns with fluted lower shafts and decorative capitals supporting entablature and segmental pediment, columns flanked by matching pilasters. Grand organ case comprising panelled base flanking pulpit, architraved panels to outer left and right surmounted by open segmental pediments, flanking carved dies with decorative turned columns above supporting octagonal bracketted and corniced frames containing outer organ pipes. Vertically-boarded wainscoting at ground floor, architraved and corniced doors flanking organ. Horizontal plaster mouldings at ground floor window springer level, and 1st floor cill and springer levels. Architraved arch heads at 1st floor windows, dentilled cornice above framing cove to plaster ceiling with decorative dome at centre set in elliptical mouldings.

CHURCH HALL: projecting to SW from ground floor of rear elevation. Square flanking wings in re-entrant angles, each with bracketted timber canopies at entrance doors. Centre wing projecting by 2 bays, modern 4-bay extension to SW in matching style.

Mostly 4-pane timber sash and case windows. 6-panel timber entrance doors adjacent to church, slated timber canopies with barge boards and scrolled brackets. Grey slate roof, piended at flanking wings, with cast-iron gutters and downpipes with hoppers. Square timber ventilator at ridge with slate-hung base, semicircular louvered vents below overhanging bracketted eaves to piended slated roof with finial at apex.

INTERIOR: passage from church to church hall with vertically-boarded timber wainscoting and 6-panel, architraved doors. 6-panel, 2-leaf entrance doors to hall, circular frame for clock above. Timber floor, vertically-boarded timber wainscoting, open timber roof a SW end.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATES: ashlar gatepiers to Longrow comprising square shafts over 2-tier bases, each with incised pilasters at corners, pyramidal cap, corniced and articulated around semicircular pediments to each face, moulded dome at apex. Flanking ashlar dwarf wall, coped and surmounted by early 20th century wrought-iron railings matching 2-leaf entrance gates. Random rubble boundary walls to SE and NW, coped to SW (Glebe Street), with entrance gate at centre comprising square ashlar gatepiers with pyramidal caps and 2-leaf wrought-iron gates.

Statement of Special Interest

In 1767 a section of the Lowland congregation at the Castlehill Church broke away due to a dispute with the Patron, the Duke of Argyll, about a minister?s settlement, and built a church in Longrow. They associated themselves with the Relief movement, which had just started in Scotland. By the time the present church was completed the congregation was known as the United Presbyterians following the union of the Relief and Secession Churches in 1847. It became Longrow United Free Church on the union of the Free and United Presbyterian Churches in 1900, and entered the Church of Scotland at the larger union of 1929.

References

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