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Summary

Description

Richard Spence, dated 1862; church hall circa 1897. 3-bay gable-ended rectangular-plan church built on raised ground set back from road; birdcage bellcote with round-arched openings and short stone spire on consoled gablehead support; 'nave' bay defined by shouldered square-headed buttresses; pyramidal-capped octagonal angle piers. Stugged red sandstone ashlar with cement-rendered and lined dressings. Base course; cill course, continuous as hood-mould over door; long and short border to eaves course. Tudor-arched openings. Chamfered reveals to windows; stone mullions; long and short margins. Church Hall to rear, (W); gatepiers, wall and railings to E (roadside).

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 2-tier stone flight to wide, 2-leaf timber panelled doors; Tudor-arched fanlight; date stone to arch apex; tall 3-light mullioned simply traceried window above; gablehead bellcote. Window in each 'aisle' bay flanking.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: 2-bay gabled elevation with tall, simply traceried window in each bay; corniced block to gablehead above.

N AND S (SIDE) ELEVATIONS: 2-storey, 5-bay regularly fenestrated elevations; square-headed windows at ground; tall, pointed-arched windows above.

Fixed, timber-framed lying pane windows; leaded stained glass windows to W end. Grey slate; stone ridge; leaded square ridge vents; cement skews; uPVC rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: fluted cast-iron columns with acanthus capitals supporting timber panelled U-plan gallery around E end; tiered timber pews; boarded dado at each level; architraved timber panelled doors; timber perron staircase to central timber panelled pulpit; decorative cast-iron banisters; timber handrails; timber panelled organ case and pipe screen (J J Binns, 1906) set against W wall behind; flanking 2-light leaded stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of Our Lord (after 1922); plain timber altar on Doric columnar legs; grey marble octagonal pedestal font with quatrefoil motifs around bowl; stone flight to gallery beneath consoled and plaster panelled arches flanking each side of vestibule; decorative cast-iron banisters and timber handrails matching those to pulpit; panelled ceiling with plaster ribs; floriate motifs to intersections; decorative plaster ceiling roses (vents and light fittings).

CHURCH HALL: single storey gabled church hall to rear, along W elevation. Harl-pointed roughly coursed squared rubble with cement margins to openings. Large, 4-centred arched timber mullioned window to S elevation; timber-panelled door to right; ball-finialled gablehead. Grey slate; stone ridge; ashlar skews; corniced rubble gablehead stack to E end; regularly disposed rooflights to W pitch.

INTERIOR: architraved timber panelled doors; clap boarding to dado rail height; plain cornice; pilastered and corniced blocked surround to blocked fireplace to E wall.

GATEPIERS, GARDEN WALL AND RAILINGS: circa 1862. Square-plan cream sandstone ashlar gatepiers to eastern entrance to church, bordering road; plinths; string course below cavetto moulded cornice; pedestalled convex pyramidal caps; cast-iron linking arch supporting central light; low cement-rendered and lined garden wall bordering road; curved ashlar cope; fleur-de-lys/arrowhead cast-iron railings (those flanking steps to church missing).

Statement of Special Interest

A church was first erected on this site in 1806, a local mason building the present building to seat 640 at a cost of ?1 767. Original congregation members were of the Secessionist Church, later (1847) developing into the United Presbyterian Church. In 1951 the Victoria Street Church united with St Peter's Church (now the Community Centre) and was renamed St Peter's and Victoria Street Church and was re-decorated to the designs of Stanley Cursiter. Alternate banisters in the church match those found in 4 Melvin Place. The stained glass windows and granite font were brought down from St Peter's Church and commemorate members of the Brown family. On 12th March, 1896, William Melvin Brown Rossie, a Stromness draper, acting as petitioner on behalf of the church, applied for permission to build the church hall; the cost was estimated at ?700.

References

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