Erskine Marykirk Church, 29 St John Street, Stirling

Heritage listing

Category B Date Added 04/11/1965 Local Authority Stirling Planning Authority Stirling Burgh Stirling NGR NS 79264 93583 Coordinates 279264, 693583 — Allan Johnstone (Stirling), 1825-1826; altered, William Simpson, (Stirling) 1877. Classical former Secession church, abandoned 1968, set on fire 1980, all but facade destroyed, modern extension to rear built on conversion to residential, circa 1985. 2-storey, 5-bay divided by pilasters. Squared rubble with ashlar margins. N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 3 bays to centre advanced with pedimented portico. Entrance with round-headed fanlight at ground to centre. Round-headed windows in bays to right and left. Entrances in recessed round-arched panels with round-headed fanlights in outer bays. Regular round-headed fenestration above. SIDE ELEVATION: harled wall with lean to at ground, round-arched windows above. — In the 1730's Ebenezer Erskine, one of the ministers of Stirling, left the Church of Scotland and in 1740 he and his followers built the first Secession Church roughly at the spot where the monument to him now stands (see separate listing). The monument was erected over his original tomb in 1859. The RIAS guide reports that the present church was built on what was the preaching green behind the original, the grand classical church with its pediment and pilasters was a symbol of the rising fortunes of the Seceders. The interior was acoustically perfect, and had a curved gallery, tiered seating and fine plasterwork. The name Marykirk derives from the 1934 merger between the Erskine, and the mission church in St Mary's Wynd.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.