Basic Site Details

Name: St Columba's Church (Gaelic)
City or county: Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: Cost £15,000.

The new church is composed of nave and transepts and accommodates close upon 1,100 sitters. There are galleries in the transepts and a gallery at the end of the nave. The other accommodation includes a hall to seat 350, a smaller hall for 120, sessions house, vestry, choir vestry, ladies’ room and kitchen. A church officer’s house is also provided. The organ is divided and placed in arched chambers on each side of the chancel arch while the pulpit is placed on one side of the nave, outside the chancel. A spire, rising to a height of 200 feet forms a conspicuous feature, the spire having pinnacles and belfry stage for bell, and with niche and canopy in which is placed a statue of the patron saint, St Columba. The architects are Messrs William Tennant and Fred V Burke and the building will cost about £15,000 [Builder 9 November 1901 Page 419]


A new church has just been erected in St Vincent Street Glasgow for the St Columba Gaelic Congregation of the Church of Scotland who were dispossessed of their former church in Hope Street by the extension of the Central Railway Station. The mason work is of red freestone and is worked in rock faced irregular courses with finely tooled dressings. The style of architecture is Gothic of the Early Decorated period and the plan of the building is cruciform, having wide nave and narrow aisles - the latter used only as passages - and chancel with semi-octagonal apse end. The church is seated for 1,000 persons. In a niche over the doorway is a statue of St Columba, 8 feet high. The architect is Mr William Tennant, 219 Hope Street, Glasgow. The cost of the church and site is about £30,000. [British Architect 30 September 1904 Page 253]

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Church  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 1300, St Vincent StreetYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 419011904  
Item 2 of 4c. 1901  Competition held
Item 3 of 416 March 1904 Journal referenceChurch nearing completion
Item 4 of 41905 Design exhibited 

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 6Andrew Balfour  1901 Unsuccessful competition design
Item 2 of 6Frederick Vincent Burke A19011904 
Item 3 of 6William Tennant A19011904 
Item 4 of 6William Tennant & Fred V Burke A19011904 
Item 5 of 6David Barclay B1901 Unsuccessful competition design
Item 6 of 6H & D Barclay B1901 Unsuccessful competition design

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Academy Architecture1902 part 1 p78 (Balfour design)
Item 2 of 4Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts1902   570 (Balfour design)
Item 3 of 4Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts1905   491 (H & D Barclay design)
Item 4 of 4Williamson, Riches, Higgs1990Glasgow (The Buildings of Scotland)  p204

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4British Architect30 September 1904  p253
Item 2 of 4Builder9 November 1901LXXXI p419
Item 3 of 4Building Industries15 November 1901   
Item 4 of 4Building Industries16 March 1904   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 1Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register33168