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Reid Memorial Church

Coordinates: 55°55′35″N 3°11′06″W / 55.9265°N 3.1849°W / 55.9265; -3.1849
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Reid Memorial Church
Map
55°55′35″N 3°11′06″W / 55.9265°N 3.1849°W / 55.9265; -3.1849
CountryScotland
DenominationChurch of Scotland
Websitewww.reidmemorial.org.uk
History
FoundedJanuary 1935 (1935-01)
Laity
Organist(s)Martyn Strachan[1]

The Reid Memorial Church is a church in Edinburgh.[2]

History

After growing resentment within the Church of Scotland about the appointment of ministers by the patron of a church, the Disruption of 1843 led to the Free Church of Scotland.[3] Among the ministers seceding was Dr. Robert Gordon, formerly of St Giles', and he became the first minister of the "Free High" congregation.[3] After he died in 1853, he was succeeded by Robert Rainy, who was minister until 1862, and then followed by other eminent preachers and scholars.[3]

The United Free Church of Scotland was formed in 1900 when the Free Church combined with the United Presbyterian Church, which rejoined the Church of Scotland in 1929.

The congregation of the Free High Church attached to the New College at the top of The Mound occupied the building, as their building was to be used for the expansion of the activities of the College.[4][5]

It was dedicated on 3 January 1935.[3][4]

Details

The tower to the south-east, with the cloister area below

The church was designed by Leslie Grahame Thomson and built between 1929 and 1933.[6] It is in an Arts and Crafts Gothic style, replicating medieaval churches with cathedral-like proportions and layout.[7]

It consists of a cruciform with side aisles and a square tower to the south-east.[7] To the east of this main section is a cloister court, around which are arranged vestries, the session house, a hall and the church officer's house.[7] The windows along the side are decorated with tracery and there are flanking buttresses that travel above the height of the windows.[7] The three windows of the chancery are decorated with stained glass by James Ballantine, depicting the Nativity, Crucifixion and Ascension.[7][4]

The Church is located in a triangular area between West Savile Terrace to the north, and Blackford Avenue to the south, a steep hill that rises above it.[4][8]

Organ

The organ was built by Rushworth and Dreaper.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Organ Latest". Reid Memorial Church. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  2. ^ "About Us". Reid Memorial Church. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Our story started here". Reid Memorial Church. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d "Edinburgh, West Saville Terrace, The Reid Memorial Church". rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  5. ^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9ekYa6KueV8C&pg=PA198
  6. ^ "Reid Memorial Church, Edinburgh". Scotland's Churches Trust. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/f?p=2200:15:0::::BUILDING:30015
  8. ^ "Reid Memorial Church" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 26 September 2014.