West Register House is a building of the
National Records of Scotland
National Records of Scotland ( gd, Clàran Nàiseanta na h-Alba) is a non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for Civil registry, civil registration, the census in Scotland, demography and statistics, family histor ...
, located on
Charlotte Square
300px, Robert Adam's palace-fronted north side
Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intended ...
in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, Scotland, United Kingdom. The building was constructed between 1811 and 1814 as St George's Church and converted to its current purpose as a records office between 1964 and 1970.
The church's site in the centre of the western side of
Charlotte Square
300px, Robert Adam's palace-fronted north side
Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intended ...
had been designated for a church as part of
James Craig's initial plan for the
New Town
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
. The building was designed by
Robert Reid after a similar but more intricate plan by
Robert Adam
Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his o ...
, who designed the square's surrounding terraces. Construction began in 1811 and, though initially projected to cost £18,000, the total cost came to £33,000. The
facade centres on an
Ionic portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
, above which rises a substantial green
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
on a tall,
peristyle
In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, a peristyle (; from Greek ) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of a building or a courtyard. Tetrastoön ( grc, τετράστῳον or τετράστοον, lit=fou ...
drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
. The dome, topped by a gilt
cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, from ...
and cross, is a prominent feature of the Edinburgh skyline and terminates the view west along
George Street. The interior of the church was gutted during its conversion as a records office. It had been noted for its tall
pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
by
William Trotter.
St George's Church opened in 1814 to serve as the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
for the western half of the New Town. In its early years, it was notable for the ministries of two leading
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
s:
Andrew Mitchell Thomson
Andrew Mitchell Thomson (1779–1831) was a minister of the Church of Scotland, known as an evangelical activist and political reformer.
Life
The second son of the Rev. John Thomson, D.D., by his first wife, Helen Forrest, he was born in the ma ...
and
Robert Smith Candlish
Robert Smith Candlish (23 March 1806 – 19 October 1873) was a Scottish minister who was a leading figure in the Disruption of 1843. He served for many years in both St. George's Church and St George's Free Church on Charlotte Square in Edinb ...
. The latter led out a significant portion of the congregation during the
Disruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843, also known as the Great Disruption, was a schism in 1843 in which 450 evangelical ministers broke away from the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland.
The main conflict was over whether the Church of S ...
. Thomson also established a strong musical tradition at St George's: this continued with prominent choirmasters and organists, including
Alexander Mackenzie. By the early 1960s, severe structural damage in the church building had become apparent and, in 1964, the congregation united with that of St Andrew's on George Street to form
St Andrew's and St George's. Between 1964 and 1970, Robert Saddler converted the building for use as a public records office. A restoration of the building was completed in 2021.
History
St George's Church
In 1809,
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
resolved that when the population of the western part of the
New Town
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
reached 5,000, the civic authorities should build a new
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
church to serve the area's inhabitants. The eastern part of the New Town was already served by
St Andrew's Church yet, as the New Town had expanded, demand for sittings had grown so great that some
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
worshippers had resorted to attending St George's
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
Chapel on
York Place
The Palace of Whitehall (also spelt White Hall) at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, except notably Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, were destroyed by fire. Hen ...
.
[
]Robert Adam
Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his o ...
had designed a church as the centrepiece of the western side of the square; The funds raised by renting pews in advance had proven insufficient, however. The city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
therefore charged Robert Reid to create a new design. Reid had offered a verbal estimate of £18,000 for the costs of construction.[Youngson 1966, p. 189.]
The foundation stone was laid on 14 May 1811 by Lord Provost William Calder. Construction took three years and the first service took place on Sunday, 5 June 1814 during celebrations for the conclusion of the War of the Sixth Coalition
In the War of the Sixth Coalition (March 1813 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation, a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, and a number of German States defeated F ...
. Henry Moncreiff-Wellwood
Henry Moncreiff-Wellwood 8th Baronet of Tullibole FRSE (6 February 1750–9 August 1827) was both a baronet in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and minister of the Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church ...
, minister of St Cuthbert's, preached the first sermon.[Gray 1940, p. 124.] By completion, the cost of the project had nearly doubled to £33,000.[ Prior to opening, the charge had been erected as a parish '']quoad sacra A ''quoad sacra'' parish is a parish of the Church of Scotland which does not represent a civil parish. That is, it had ecclesiastical functions but no local government functions. Since the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929, civil parishes have h ...
'' by the presbytery with a parish area allotted from portions of St Andrew's and St Cuthbert's. As the charge was supported by the city council, St George's was a burgh church and the stipend of its minister was supported by diverting money from the second charge of the New North Church.
The church's first minister was Andrew Mitchell Thomson
Andrew Mitchell Thomson (1779–1831) was a minister of the Church of Scotland, known as an evangelical activist and political reformer.
Life
The second son of the Rev. John Thomson, D.D., by his first wife, Helen Forrest, he was born in the ma ...
: the informal leader of the Church of Scotland's evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
faction and a keen social reformer. When Thomson died in 1831, Thomas Chalmers
Thomas Chalmers (17 March 178031 May 1847), was a Scottish minister, professor of theology, political economist, and a leader of both the Church of Scotland and of the Free Church of Scotland. He has been called "Scotland's greatest nine ...
, his effective successor as the leading evangelical, preached his funeral sermon in St George's.[ Assisted from 1823 by choirmaster R.A. Smith, Thomson also established St George's strong musical tradition, even holding choir practices at his house. Smith's most notable successor was Alexander Mackenzie: who served as choirmaster and organist from 1870 to 1881.][Gray 1940, p. 127.]
Initially, St George's supported the Sunday school
A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West.
Su ...
work of St Andrew's using the kitchen of the Assembly Rooms
In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were ...
on George Street. Soon, St George's established its own schools in Rose Street and William Street before a mission was established on Young Street in 1835. In 1837, this congregation became a parish ''quoad sacra'' as St Luke's. At the Disruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843, also known as the Great Disruption, was a schism in 1843 in which 450 evangelical ministers broke away from the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland.
The main conflict was over whether the Church of S ...
, the congregation joined the Free Church
A free church is a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church does not define government policy, and a free church does not accept church theology or policy definitions from ...
.
St George's minister from 1834, Robert Smith Candlish
Robert Smith Candlish (23 March 1806 – 19 October 1873) was a Scottish minister who was a leading figure in the Disruption of 1843. He served for many years in both St. George's Church and St George's Free Church on Charlotte Square in Edinb ...
, was second only to Chalmers as a leading evangelical; he was also an enthusiastic promoter of Sabbatarianism
Sabbatarianism advocates the observation of the Sabbath in Christianity, in keeping with the Ten Commandments.
The observance of Sunday as a day of worship and rest is a form of first-day Sabbatarianism, a view which was historically heralded ...
. At the Disruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843, also known as the Great Disruption, was a schism in 1843 in which 450 evangelical ministers broke away from the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland.
The main conflict was over whether the Church of S ...
, Candlish led out much of his congregation to form Free St George's. During Candlish's ministry, the congregation counted several Lords of Session
The senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of senator: Lords of Session (judges of the Court of Session); ...
, including James Wellwood Moncreiff and his son, James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff
James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff of Tullibole LLD (29 November 1811 – 27 April 1895) was a Scottish lawyer and politician.
Life
Moncreiff was born on 29 November 1811 to Ann, daughter of George Robertson, R. N. and Sir James Wellwood Mon ...
; David Cathcart, Lord Alloway; James Ivory, Lord Ivory
James Ivory, Lord Ivory FRSE (1792 – 1866), was a Scottish judge.
Life
The son of Thomas Ivory, watchmaker and engraver, he was born in Dundee on 29 February 1792. His family lived and ran a business from the High Street in Dundee Sir James I ...
; Henry Cockburn, Lord Cockburn
Henry Thomas Cockburn of Bonaly, Lord Cockburn ( ; Cockpen, Midlothian, 26 October 1779 – Bonaly, Midlothian, 26 April/18 July 1854) was a Scottish lawyer, judge and literary figure. He served as Solicitor General for Scotland between 1830 and ...
; John Fullerton, Lord Fullerton
John Fullerton, Lord Fullerton, (16 December 1775 – 3 December 1853) was a Scottish law lord.
Early life
He was born in Edinburgh on 16 December 1775 one of twelve children and second son to William Fullerton Esq of Carstairs and his wife I ...
; Alexander Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank
The Right Honourable Alexander Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank of Garvock and Pitliver FRSE FSA (Scot) (2 March 1777–30 November 1861), was a Scottish advocate, judge, landowner and politician. After 1854 he took the surname Maconochie-Welwood.
Li ...
; and Thomas Maitland, Lord Dundrennan
Thomas Maitland, Lord Dundrennan (9 October 1792 – 10 June 1851) was a Scottish lawyer and judge. He was Solicitor General for Scotland between 1840 and 1841 and again between 1846 and 1850. He was also Member of Parliament
A member of par ...
. Three Lord Provosts – William Trotter of Ballindean, Kincaid Mackenzie, and John Learmonth
John Learmonth of Dean, DL FRSE (26 May 1789 – 17 December 1858) was Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1831 to 1833. He was co-funder of the Dean Bridge project in western Edinburgh and gives his name to many of the streets in Comely Bank, the ...
– were also seat-holders as were Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster and the scholars James Pillans
James Pillans FRSE (1778–1864) was a Scottish classical scholar and educational reformer. He is credited with inventing the blackboard, but more correctly was the inventor of coloured chalk.
Early life
The son of James Pillans, he was bor ...
and John Shank More
John Shank More (sometimes written as John Schank More) LL.D FRSE RSA (1784–1861) was the Chair of Scots Law at the University of Edinburgh which he held from 1843 to 1861. He was involved in the anti-slavery movement and was Vice-President ...
.
In the middle of the twentieth century, structural issues began to plague the building and a portal frame
Portal frame is a construction technique where vertical supports are connected to horizontal beams or trusses via fixed joints with designed-in moment-resisting capacity. The result is wide spans and open floors.
Portal frame structures can be ...
was erected to support the dome. The congregation launched an appeal for £40,000 in January 1960. Despite the appeal's success, the extent of dry rot
Dry rot is wood decay caused by one of several species of fungi that digest parts of the wood which give the wood strength and stiffness. It was previously used to describe any decay of cured wood in ships and buildings by a fungus which resul ...
in the building soon became apparent and the congregation entered into negotiations for union with St Andrew's. The charges were linked with a single minister in June 1962 and formal union was completed on 7 June 1964. At the time of its closure, the church maintained halls and a church officer's house at Randolph Place. The manse
A manse () is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions.
Ultimately derived from the Latin ''mansus'', "dwelling", from '' ...
was at 17 Wester Coates Crescent, having been at 3 Melville Crescent before 1946.[Dunlop 1988, p. 127.]
The following ministers served St George's:
*1814–1831† Andrew Mitchell Thomson
Andrew Mitchell Thomson (1779–1831) was a minister of the Church of Scotland, known as an evangelical activist and political reformer.
Life
The second son of the Rev. John Thomson, D.D., by his first wife, Helen Forrest, he was born in the ma ...
*1831–1834† James Martin
*1834–1843 Robert Smith Candlish
Robert Smith Candlish (23 March 1806 – 19 October 1873) was a Scottish minister who was a leading figure in the Disruption of 1843. He served for many years in both St. George's Church and St George's Free Church on Charlotte Square in Edinb ...
*1843–1879 Robert Horne Stevenson
Robert Horne Stevenson (27 October 1812 – 15 November 1886) was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1871/2.
Life
Stevenson was born on 27 October 1812 at Netherinch, Campsie, son o ...
*1880–1909† Archibald Scott
*1909–1917† Gavin Lang Pagan
*1918–1950† Charles William Gray Taylor
*1951–1955 James Robert Thomson
*1956–1962 William Cecil Bigwood
† ''died in office''
West Register House
The building was purchased by Scottish Records Office and converted to a public record office under Robert Saddler of the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works. This involved the gutting of the interior to install five storeys and a two-storey entrance hall.[ During conversion, the West Register House was designated a ]Category A listed building
Category, plural categories, may refer to:
Philosophy and general uses
*Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally
*Category of being
*Categories (Aristotle), ''Categories'' (Aristotle)
*Category (Kant)
...
in 1966.[
Restoration work on the building, supported by ]Edinburgh World Heritage
Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) is an independent charity in Edinburgh, Scotland established in 1999. It is tasked with conserving, enhancing and promoting Edinburgh's World Heritage Site " Old and New Towns of Edinburgh", which was designated in ...
was completed in 2021. This included covering the exterior in scaffolding to restore stonework and to regild the cross at the top of the building. During the restoration, homelessness charities, including Shelter
Shelter is a small building giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.
Shelter may also refer to:
Places
* Port Shelter, Hong Kong
* Shelter Bay (disambiguation), various locations
* Shelter Cove (disambiguation), various locatio ...
, criticised plans to install railings to deter rough sleepers.
Architecture
Setting
A.J. Youngson called St George's dome "one of the most notable features of the Edinburgh skyline".[Youngson 1966, p. 191.][ The church's dome is prominent in the western half of the first ]New Town
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
and terminates the view along George Street.[Grant 1880 ii p. 175.] St George's occupies a site designated for a church in James Craig's initial plan for the New Town.
Both George Hay and the Buildings of Scotland guide to Edinburgh note that while the building is out of proportion to its surrounding terraces, it forms an effective visual terminus to the view along George Street.[Gifford, McWilliam, Walker 1984, p. 291.] Ian Gordon Lindsay
Ian Gordon Lindsay (29 July 1906 – 28 August 1966) was a Scottish architect. He was most noted for his numerous restoration projects, sometimes of whole villages but curiously was also involved in the design of several hydro-electric power sta ...
and William Forbes Gray
William Forbes Gray FRSE (1874–1950) was a Scottish journalist and author. In authorship he is usually referred to as W. Forbes Gray. He wrote extensively on Sir Walter Scott.
Life
He was born 14 April 1874.
In 1894 he began working at the ''E ...
also note the church's lack of proportion to Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
’s surrounding buildings. Gray surmises that Reid designed the church relative to the overall size of the square rather than to its neighbouring terraces.[Lindsay 1948, p. 30.]
Robert Adam's plan
In his plan for Charlotte Square, Robert Adam
Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his o ...
designed a church for this site. Modelled after St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
, it was to have an advanced portico with a pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedimen ...
supported on coupled columns. Pavilions with pilaster
In classical architecture
Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...
s on the corners would have flanked this arrangement while supporting small domes
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
on peristyle
In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, a peristyle (; from Greek ) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of a building or a courtyard. Tetrastoön ( grc, τετράστῳον or τετράστοον, lit=fou ...
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
. The central dome would have been similar, albeit shallower and with four pedimented faces on the drum.[ By the time of St George's construction, concerns over cost and the waning popularity of the ]Adam style
The Adam style (or Adamesque and "Style of the Brothers Adam") is an 18th-century neoclassical style of interior design and architecture, as practised by Scottish architect William Adam and his sons, of whom Robert (1728–1792) and James (173 ...
meant a new design was sought from Robert Reid.[Gray 1940, p. 123.]
Exterior
The facade of the building, facing onto Charlotte Square
300px, Robert Adam's palace-fronted north side
Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intended ...
, centres on a balustrade
A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...
d portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
supported by four Ionic column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
s in antis
An anta (pl. antæ, antae, or antas; Latin, possibly from ''ante'', "before" or "in front of"), or sometimes parastas (pl. parastades), is an architectural term describing the posts or pillars on either side of a doorway or entrance of a Greek ...
and accessed a flight of shallow steps. Within the portico, two rectangular entrances flank an arched entrance. All are filled in with smoked glass, which replaced wooden doors at the time of the building's secularisation.[
Two ]pavilions
In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings:
* It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
flank the portico. Each pavilion stands on a base course and contains a rectangular window and oculus Oculus (a term from Latin ''oculus'', meaning 'eye'), may refer to the following
Architecture
* Oculus (architecture), a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Oculus'' (film), a 2013 American ...
within a recessed arch; above this, an empty frieze
In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...
panel sits between an impost course and the cornice
In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
, which is continuous with the portico. The pavilions are topped by panelled attic storeys in line with the balustrade of the portico.[ Reid's drawings show plans to include clocks within the faces of the attic storeys and to crown the pavilions with statues of female figures. These were never executed. The rear facade of the building, which faces onto Randolph Place, centres on a rear of attenuated pavilions flanking a ]Diocletian window
Diocletian windows, also called thermal windows, are large semicircular windows characteristic of the enormous public baths (''thermae'') of Ancient Rome. They have been revived on a limited basis by some classical revivalist architects in more m ...
above a Venetian window
A Venetian window (also known as a Serlian window) is a large tripartite window which is a key element in Palladian architecture. Although Sebastiano Serlio (1475–1554) did not invent it, the window features largely in the work of the Italian a ...
.[ ]David Bryce
David Bryce FRSE FRIBA RSA (3 April 1803 – 7 May 1876) was a Scottish architect.
Life
Bryce was born at 5 South College Street in Edinburgh, the son of David Bryce (1763–1816) a grocer with a successful side interest in buildi ...
drew up plans to add towers to the pavilions. This too was never carried out.
The building's prominent green copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
and gilded
Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...
cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, from ...
are supported by a two-stage drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
. The bottom part of the drum is peristyle
In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, a peristyle (; from Greek ) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of a building or a courtyard. Tetrastoön ( grc, τετράστῳον or τετράστοον, lit=fou ...
d with every fourth bay
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
blocked in by a niche
Niche may refer to:
Science
*Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development
*Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species
*Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...
. The shorter upper section is pierced with oculi. The drum and dome rise from a stout square base over the former vestibule at the front of the building.[Hay in Gray 1961, p. 58.]
The building's plan is 112 ft (34m) in width and length while its total height is 160 ft (49m).[ The exterior is constructed of ]Craigleith
Craigleith ( gd, Creag Lìte) is a small island in the Firth of Forth off North Berwick in East Lothian, Scotland. Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic ''Creag Lìte'' meaning "rock of Leith". It is at its highest point.
Geography and geolo ...
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
.[
]
Interior
Prior to conversion, the sanctuary was shaped as a Greek cross
The Christian cross, with or without a figure of Christ included, is the main religious symbol of Christianity. A cross with a figure of Christ affixed to it is termed a ''crucifix'' and the figure is often referred to as the ''corpus'' (La ...
. George Hay identifies this as one of only two such plans in Scottish churches of this period: the other is at Carnock
Carnock ( gd, A' Chàrnaich) is a village and parish of Fife, Scotland, west of Dunfermline. It is east of Oakley, Fife. The name of the village derives from Scottish Gaelic, from ''ceàrn'' ("corner"), with a suffix denoting a toponym, thus ...
in Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
. At the intersection of the cross’ limbs, piers in each corner spanned by coffer
A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault.
A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, also c ...
ed segmental arch
A segmental arch is a type of arch with a circular arc of less than 180 degrees. It is sometimes also called a scheme arch.
The segmental arch is one of the strongest arches because it is able to resist thrust. To prevent failure, a segmental arc ...
es supported a shallow, coffered dome centring on a circular light.[ Illumination was also provided by three-light windows in the north, south, and east arms. These same arms housed galleries while the west arm was occupied by the focal point of the ]pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
, communion table
Communion table or Lord's table are terms used by many Protestant churches—particularly from Reformed, Baptist and low church Anglican and Methodist bodies—for the table used for preparation of Holy Communion (a sacrament also called the '' ...
, and pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
.[Dunlop 1988, p. 127.]
The church was able to accommodate 1,600 worshippers, the interior was, prior to conversion, relatively plain though distinguished by a large pulpit in Spanish mahogany
Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...
by William Trotter. This stood at including its canopy, which was removed some time before 1940.[Gray 1940, p. 129.] The Royal Commission on the Ancient Monuments of Scotland's survey in 1951 found most of the furnishings were then modern while the doors to sanctuary were likely original. The surround of the central door to the sanctuary was fashioned as a memorial after the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.[RCAMS 1951, p. 185.] These doors connected the sanctuary to a spacious vestibule with gallery stairs.[Hay 1957, p. 127.] The organ was a two-manual Father Willis
Henry Willis (27 April 1821 – 11 February 1901), also known as "Father" Willis, was an English organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era. His company Henry Willis & Sons remains in busin ...
installed in 1882 and upgraded to three manuals by the same firm in 1897 and again enlarged by them in 1932. The organ was removed in 1962 and parts of it were reused at St Mary & St Giles Church, Stony Stratford
St Mary & St Giles Church is a parish church in Stony Stratford, in Milton Keynes (in north Buckinghamshire), England.
History
The present parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin & St Giles, the latter being the patron saint of crip ...
.[Dunlop 1988, p. 127.]
The current interior, dating from Robert Saddler's conversion of the building between 1964 and 1970, consists of five storeys. These are accessed via a two-storey entrance hall with mezzanine
A mezzanine (; or in Italian language, Italian, a ''mezzanino'') is an intermediate floor in a building which is partly open to the double-height ceilinged floor below, or which does not extend over the whole floorspace of the building, a loft ...
floor.
Criticism
Early critics, including ''The Scots Magazine
''The Scots Magazine'' is a magazine containing articles on subjects of Scottish interest. It claims to be the oldest magazine in the world still in publication, although there have been several gaps in its publication history. It has reported on ...
'', drew negative comparisons between Reid's
Reid's was an 11-store chain located in various rural South Carolina communities, specifically Barnwell, Orangeburg, Langley, New Ellenton, Batesburg, Walterboro, St. George, Aiken, Saluda, Cayce, and Hampton. Most of these stores were al ...
design and Adam's, noting that the latter could have been built for the ultimate cost of Reid's.[Gray 1940, pp. 122–123.][ Victorian critics included ]John Ruskin
John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and politi ...
, who called it "a most costly and most ugly building", and James Grant, who described the building as "heavy in appearance, meagre in detail, and hideous in conception".[
Later writers were more measured. George Hay hailed the facade as a "fine composition" while noting the dome's lack of relation to the rest of the building. He also criticised the interior as "rather an anti-climax".][ ]William Forbes Gray
William Forbes Gray FRSE (1874–1950) was a Scottish journalist and author. In authorship he is usually referred to as W. Forbes Gray. He wrote extensively on Sir Walter Scott.
Life
He was born 14 April 1874.
In 1894 he began working at the ''E ...
described the building as "an impressive reminder that we were once in earnest about churchgoing".[Gray 1940, p. 122.] A.J. Youngson found harsher criticisms of the building unjust while also concluding "it is certainly a pity the Adam design was not used".[
]
See also
*List of listed buildings in Edinburgh
This is a list of listed buildings in Edinburgh. The list is split out by parish.
Edinburgh is said to have the largest number of listed buildings of any city in the world.
* List of Category A listed buildings in Edinburgh
Comprehensive lis ...
Notes
Explanatory notes
References
Bibliography
* Dunlop, A. Ian (1988). ''The Kirks of Edinburgh: 1560–1984''. Scottish Record Society.
* Gifford, John; McWilliam, Colin; Walker, David (1984). ''The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh''. Penguin Books.
* Grant, James (1880). ''Old and New Edinburgh''. II. Cassell's.
* Gray, John G. (1961). ''The South Side Story''. W. F. Knox & Co.
**Hay, George. "Newington and other Neo-Classic Kirks".
* Gray, William Forbes (1940). ''Historic Edinburgh Churches''. The Moray Press.
* Hay, George (1957). ''The Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches: 1560 to 1843''. Oxford University Press.
* Lindsay, Ian G. (1948). ''Georgian Edinburgh''. Oliver and Boyd.
* (1951). ''An Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments of the City of Edinburgh with the Thirteenth Report of the Commission''. His Majesty's Stationery Office.
*
* Youngson, Alexander J. (1966). ''The Making of Classical Edinburgh''. Edinburgh University Press.
External links
Historic Environment Scotland: "Charlotte Square, West Register House (Former St George's Church): LB27360"
Canmore: "Edinburgh, Charlotte Square, St George's Parish Church"
{{Buildings and Structures in Edinburgh, state=collapsed
Buildings and structures in Edinburgh
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1814
Category A listed buildings in Edinburgh
New Town, Edinburgh
Former churches in Scotland