Triple Kirks facts for kids
The Triple Kirks in Aberdeen, Scotland, were a special church building. They were built when a big split happened in the Church of Scotland in 1843. This event was called the Disruption of 1843. Three different church groups, called congregations, shared one large building. It had a very tall spire. The East Free Kirk was finished in 1843. The West Free Kirk and South Free Kirk were ready early the next year. Around 1966, the building started to be used less and less. It became mostly a ruin, but its tall spire stayed standing.
Many plans were made for the site. The Secretary of State for Scotland said the spire had to be saved. So, a block of flats called "The Point" was built. The old church spire now sticks out from the top of the new building.
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Why the Church Split in 1843
For over 100 years, there was a big argument in Scotland's main church. This church was Presbyterian. The argument was about who should choose the church minister. Should it be the local landowner, called a heritor or patron? Or should the people who went to the church, the congregation, decide?
For many churches, the landowner usually picked the minister. They often did this without asking the church members. But for other churches, the people always chose their own ministers.
In May 1843, about one-third of the ministers in Scotland left the main church. They formed a new group called the Free Church. They stopped working in their old churches. They held services wherever they could. Many church members stayed loyal to their ministers. They left their old church buildings. New churches were built by the people themselves. The rule about landowners choosing ministers ended in 1874. The two church groups later joined back together in 1929.
In Aberdeen, the city council was the landowner for six churches. But the council always let the church members choose their ministers. The other nine churches in Aberdeen also chose their own ministers. Even though there was no problem in Aberdeen, all fifteen ministers left the main church. They did this to support ministers in other places. Ten new Free Kirks were built in Aberdeen. By 1851, there were only seven "established" churches left. But all fifteen Free Churches were still there.
Building the Triple Kirks
People in Aberdeen knew the church split might happen. In April 1843, a local group bought an old factory. It had been empty since 1830. As the buyer left the office, someone from the old church arrived. They wanted to buy the factory to stop the Free Church. But it was too late!
The factory was pulled down. A famous Aberdeen architect, Archibald Simpson, was hired. To save money, he designed one building for three separate church groups. These groups came from the East and West parts of the Kirk of St Nicholas. The third group was from the new South Church. Many church members were expected to leave the old church. So, the new building needed to be big enough for everyone.
The three churches had their own separate areas inside. But they shared one tall spire. The spire's design was like a church in Germany. All the building work was finished by early 1844.
The building cost £6,000. This was kept as low as possible. The walls were made of rough granite stones. Some of these stones came from the old factory. The spire was built from old bricks. Even so, it was a beautiful building. A newspaper at the time said it looked like a cathedral. It said the spire was "airy" and tall.
The spire reached about 59 meters (194 feet) high. This was measured from its base in the Denburn Valley. The building had simple pointed arches and tall, narrow windows. It used red brick and rough granite. The South Kirk was like the main cross-section of a church. The East Kirk was the front part. The West Kirk was the long main hall. The tower and spire were in the corner between the south and west churches.
How the Churches Were Used
The churches were built on the east side of the Denburn Valley. This was a deep valley, about 10.5 meters (34 feet) deep. It ran through Aberdeen. In 1864, a railway line was built along the valley. This connected railways to the north and south. The tracks were laid close to the east side of the valley. This meant the Denburn Road had to move closer to the church. It passed very close to the West Free church, but far below it.
The people in the West Free church worried the building might fall down. They moved to another church in the city. The railway company later bought the whole building for £12,000. The East and South churches wanted to stay. They bought back their parts of the building for £3,000 each. This meant they each made a profit of £1,000.
The West church then built a new building. But their group soon split. One part bought back the West church for £3,800. The other two churches helped pay for this. This part of the Triple Kirks was then called the High Free Church. In 1890, the South church moved to a grand new building. The East church bought the empty South church area. They turned it into extra church rooms.
In 1935, the High Free church moved away. By 1966, the west part of the building was empty. In 1972, the East church group joined with the church that had moved earlier. They formed a new church called St. Mark's. This meant the Triple Kirks building was no longer used for religious services.
In 1952, a writer named John Betjeman wrote about the Triple Kirks. He said the red brick spire stood out among Aberdeen's grey granite buildings. He thought it was so amazing that only Salisbury Cathedral could compare to it.
Later Life and Changes
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Very late in its life as a church, in 1967, the Triple Kirks building was given a special protection status. It was listed as a Category A listed building. But even with this protection, the building started to fall apart. In 1976, a company from London bought the site. They planned to keep the spire. They wanted to build a shopping mall, restaurant, offices, and flats around it. The city council liked this idea. But a local group, the Aberdeen Civic Society, strongly opposed it.
By the 1980s, the east part of the building became a bar. It was first called Simpson's Bar, then later the Triple Kirks. The upper floor became a dance school. The southern part of the building became unsafe. It was pulled down, except for three walls that were held up with supports. Many new building plans were suggested. One plan was for a seven-story office block.
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The Secretary of State for Scotland stepped in. They said the spire had to be kept. So, a plan for a six-story office block with an underground car park, including the spire, was made. Then there was a plan for a five-story-high glass area with the spire inside. Another idea was for a heritage center. By this time, the people planning and building had forgotten what the building was originally. They kept calling one part the "North Kirk," even though there wasn't one.
By 2018, there was less demand for offices. So, a new plan for 347 student flats was started. But before the end of 2018, the council changed the rules. They said the flats didn't have to be just for students. They believed this change would help the city center grow and improve.
