TIMELINE
| St. James’ United Presbyterian Church | 1900 | |
| St. James’ Church | 1929 | |
| 1929 | St. James’ Church of Scotland |
1898: In June the minister and a large proportion of the congregation of the Falkirk Congregational Church (the old Evangelical Union Church in Bank Street) refused to enter the agreed union with the Evangelical Union Church congregation and instead were admitted into the United Presbyterian Church in June 1898. Since November the previous year meetings had been held in the Melville Street Church, leased from the Co-op. As most of the congregation was from the Grahamston area it was decided to seek a new building site there. A site was secured from John Baird, timber merchant, on Thornhill Road where a new street, Fir Street, was to be formed.
1899: The new hall on the S side of the church was opened for services in September.
1900: New church opened at the corner of Thornhill Road and the new street at Firs in October. Built in the Gothic style of red stone from Locharbriggs Quarry, Dumfries (the greystone from Eastfield Quarry having run out), and blue Craiglea slate for the roof of the buildings and red tile for the tower. Externally the main gabled front faces onto Thornhill Road, and here the stone is rock-faced with fine dressed detailing. The roof of the church was open bound. In plan it has a nave 27ft wide by 64ft long, with transepts on both sides, which, along with the 10ft wide aisles, are separated from the nave by six lofty arches springing from columns with moulded stone caps and bases. A gallery was provided for future use at the east end of the nave, accessed by a wooden stair. At the west end is the chancel with the communion table and elders’ seats. Its floor is raised and laid with marble mosaic, whilst the walls were panelled to a height of 8ft. The vestry adjoins the chancel. The principal entrance porch is at the base of the tower at the corner next to the road junction. The tower rises to a height of 90ft. The hall lies parallel to the nave and has the customary range of rooms behind it, viz lavatories, retiring rooms, meeting rooms and a kitchen. The architect was G Deas Page, Falkirk, and the mason work by George Sanderson, Falkirk. Cost £4,749.
1925: Gallery opened.
2018: Congregation united with Grahamston Parish Church and church closed.
FITTINGS
Elders’ seats presented by the congregation of the Grahams Road Church on its closure. Two lecterns come from Elder Park Church, Glasgow. Wooden memorial plaque and communion table reputedly designed and executed by Miss Wilson of South Bantaskine.
1926: Baptismal font gifted by the Girls’ Auxiliary.
BELL
Bell installed in 1974. Given to Victoria School.
WINDOW
See separate entry under stained glass.
WAR MEMORIAL
See separate entry under War Memorial.
SEATING
1900: Church designed for 532 people and the hall for 260. The gallery took a further 100.
MINISTERS OF ST. JAMES CHURCH
| 1898 | Buchan, John Duthie | 1907 |
| Sep 1907 | Kerr, Alexander Fleming | Jan 1923 |
| Jun 1923 | Gardiner, William | Oct 1926 |
| Feb 1927 | Linkie, Thomas Muir | Nov 1960 |
| Aug 1961 | MacFarlane, Thomas Gracie | Sep 1968 |
| Jan 1969 | Stephen, Gordon Struthers | Apr 1972 |
| Nov 1972 | Kellas, David John | 1983 |
| 1983 | Telfer, Alan B | 1991 |
| 1992 | McKimmon, Eric |
SITES & MONUMENTS RECORD
| St. James’ United Presbyterian Church | SMR 122 | NS 8930 601898 |
Geoff B. Bailey (2019)
Falkirk Local History Society 