Old Scotch Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Scotch Church
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Eight-sided steeple of the Old Scotch Church
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 Location in Hillsboro Beaverton OR
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| Location | Scotch Church Rd., Washington County, Oregon, near Hillsboro, Oregon |
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| Built | 1878 |
| Architectural style | Carpenter Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001723 |
| Added to NRHP | November 5, 1974 |
The Old Scotch Church is a special historic building in Washington County, Oregon, near Hillsboro, Oregon. It's also known as the Tualatin Plains Presbyterian Church. This church is a national historic site in the United States.
The church group started in 1873. The actual church building, with its unique eight-sided steeple, was built in 1878. There's also a cemetery on the church grounds. Many early settlers of the Tualatin Plains are buried there. This includes famous pioneers like Joseph Meek.
Contents
How the Church Started
The Tualatin Plains Presbyterian Church held its first service on November 16, 1873. This first meeting took place in a schoolhouse called Columbia Academy. The Reverend George Ross was the pastor. The school was about four miles (6 km) from where the church stands today. Services continued at the school until the church members found a permanent spot to build their own church.
Most of the first church members came from the same area in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. They had been part of the Free Church of Scotland there. After moving to the United States, they settled close to each other in the Tualatin Valley in Oregon. Because these settlers were from Scotland, their church building became known as "The Old Scotch Church."
The twelve original Scottish pioneers who founded the church were:
- Mr. and Mrs. William Chalmers and their 11 children (their youngest, Catherine, was the first person buried in the cemetery).
- Mr. and Mrs. James Smith.
- Reverend and Mrs. George Ross.
- Mr. and Mrs. George Alexander.
- Their daughter Eliza.
- Miss Alexander.
- John Milne.
Eight of these twelve founders are buried in the cemetery. Many of their family members are buried there too.
The Church Building
In 1876, a man named Jacob Hoover gave one acre (about 4,000 square meters) of land to the church. This land was for building the church and for the cemetery. On March 11, 1878, the church leaders decided to start building. They asked for an estimate to see how much it would cost.
The estimate for the building was $2120. It was designed in the Carpenter Gothic style. Mr. Balantyne was the architect. His design included special supports called buttresses. It also had beautiful stained glass windows and a steep roof. The most famous part is the eight-sided steeple.
Building the church began with a lot of help from the church members. They donated many materials and much of their time. The stained glass windows were brought all the way from Scotland. The church building, which is next to McKay Creek, was finished and dedicated in 1878. A church bell was added to the steeple in 1926.
Building Changes Over Time
The Old Scotch Church has been expanded several times over the years:
- In 1905, an annex was added to the back of the building. This created more classrooms for Sunday school.
- In 1940, the annex was made bigger, and a half-basement was added.
- In 1955, another addition was built. This included the church's first indoor restrooms!
- From 1959 to 1960, the entire building was lifted up. This allowed a full basement to be built underneath.
- In 1984, four more classrooms were added to the church.
The Cemetery
Many important pioneers from the Oregon Country are buried in the cemetery. Joseph Meek is one of the most well-known people buried there. Meek passed away on June 20, 1875. He was first buried on his own land. Later, when his land was sold, his remains were moved. They were re-buried at the Old Scotch Church cemetery.
Joseph Meek was a "mountain man" (an explorer and fur trapper). He was also part of Oregon's first government, called the Provisional Government of Oregon. He was even the first U.S. Marshall for the Oregon Territory.
In 1985, a special stone pile called a cairn was added to the cemetery. This cairn is a memorial to ancestors in Scotland. They were involved in a sad event called the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692.
The Church Today
The Old Scotch Church is one of the oldest churches in Oregon that has been used continuously. It was the 13th historic site in Washington County, Oregon, to be recognized. On November 5, 1974, the church was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Tualatin Plains Presbyterian Church still holds services in the Old Scotch Church building every Sunday.
