Building record MAB24391 - HOLBURN CENTRAL PARISH CHURCH, HOLBURN STREET
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Summary
Church designed by Alexander Fraser 1836, with tower added in 1891 and hall designed by WJ Smith 1881.
Protected Status/Designation
- Listed Building (B) 47927
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NJ 9328 0572 (31m by 39m) Centred at - Polygon: Known Site Extent |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NJ90NW |
| Authority | Aberdeenshire City |
| Civil Parish | Aberdeen |
Type and Period (5)
Full Description
Church designed by Alexander Fraser 1836, with tower added in 1891 and hall designed by WJ Smith 1881. The church retains a tram rosette. It is a 2-storey, 3-bay classical church with a square-plan 4-stage tower adjoining tower and halls. Built of coursed granite ashlar. It was originally known as Holburn Chapel of Ease, annotated on the OS 1st edition as Holburn Church (quod sacra). Six stained glass windows by Douglas Strachan were funded by public subscription, and dedicated in 1903 to the memory of the 242 Gordon Highlanders who fell in the South African War. Set in a quoin of the south elevation is a March Stone of the inner marches inscribed CR (for City Royalty) - NJ90NW0367. Attached to the church is a tram rosette. Electric trams gained their power from unshielded overhead wires. The wire was a round copper conductor wire, 0.365 inches in diameter. Separate trolley wire was provided for the inward and outward trams over their full journey. Rosettes provided cable support for the overhead wires, this example remains on the outside wall of Holburn Central Church. The rosette was a fixing bracket that held in place the cross wire that supported the overhead electric wire. These fixed brackets were decorative in style and hence called 'rosettes'. The tram route that included Holburn Street was the Deeside section, which opened on 23 June 1904. The route started in Castle Street in the sidings and ran west up Union Street, passing the Music Hall. At Holburn Junction the trams turned left into Holburn Street and turned onto Great Western Road running towards Mannofield. Entrance to Cults was around a sharp bend where the trams dropped their speed to 6mph. A WWI communion table and WWI and II memorial tablet unveiled 18 September 1921 and 24 April 1949 are now in South Holburn Parish Church (NJ90SW1019).
Period Notes
Listed 12/01/1967.
ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL, 2017, A LIST OF SOME OF THE WAR MEMORIALS IN ABERDEEN CITY (Bibliographic reference). SAB6461.
Other Statuses/References
- Authority: ACY;
- HES Listed Building Number: 47927;
- NMR Card Number: NJ90SW812;
- NRHE Numlink: 148752;
- Old Historic Environment Record Ref: NJ90NW1215;
External Links (2)
- https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB47927 (Historic Environment Scotland Portal Link)
- https://www.trove.scot/place/148752 (trove.scot link)
Sources/Archives (1)
- --- SAB6461 Bibliographic reference: ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL. 2017. A LIST OF SOME OF THE WAR MEMORIALS IN ABERDEEN CITY.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Record last edited
Sep 15 2025 12:44PM
