The last two posts have looked at the two ministers of the United Free Church in Upper Largo. Between the two of them, Rev. Robert Lundin Brown and Rev. William Bruce led the church across 74 years and were the only two clergymen to head up the church during its existence. The congregation was formed in 1843 as a result of the Disruption. A proportion of members of Largo Kirk struck out on their own, and finding ground to the west end of the main street, initially built a "hall of wood". The early church structure was soon replaced with something more substantial - a building which had three roofs, like the historical Tanfield Hall (the site in Edinburgh where the very first assembly of the Free Church of Scotland took place on 18 May 1843). The piece below from 21 August 1862 Fifeshire Journal reports upon the reopening of the church following alterations and repairs by Reverend Robert Candlish (a leading light in the Free Church - more of whom to follow in another post).
The year 1879 brought a significant remodelling of the church. The building closed in May and reopened for worship in late October. The 31 October 1879 Daily Review below, provided detail of these works. The gables were raised to allow for a higher and better supported slated roof. A large window was added to the frontage (as seen in the photograph at the top of this post) and some sources suggest that the church's bell had the distinction of being the biggest in the Parish. The interior was also given an overhaul with several modern conveniences added. Much of the work was undertaken by local joiner Peter Broomfield. This time around the official re-opening was conducted by Reverend James Chalmers Burns, Moderator of the General Assembly at the time. Some two decades later, in 1899, a new organ was installed, with a liberal contribution from William Robinson Ketchen, manager of the National Bank, who was a member of the congregation.
The death of Reverend William Bruce marked the beginning of a long vacancy, during which congregation were brought under the oversight of Reverend James Ewing of Lathones. Ewing left Lathones for Glasgow in 1923, where he worked for ten years before a further move to Dalkeith. [Ewing died in 1954 following a collapse in his vestry after a service (see 18 October 1954 Edinburgh Evening News piece below).]
The combination of a long vacancy due to a shortage of ministers, and the loss of Ewing, led to the ultimate demise of the Free Church in Largo. The office bearers and members decided to dissolve the church (see 12 April Fife Free Press above). The final service took place in the church in April 1924. Some of those present recalled the time when Bruce succeeded Lundin Brown and one of the oldest members was noted as having been baptised in the church just four years after it was first built.
The funds and property of the congregation were left to the General Trustees of the United Free Church. A couple of months later, the 28 June 1924 Fifeshire Advertiser (above) noted that it was problematic to find an alternative use for the building. In fact the building lay empty for many years before an agreement was reached in September 1933 to sell it to David Ramage and the place was converted into a garage. The frontage was remodelled, so that the building had a less church-like appearance. It was only the rear aspect of the building which gave away its original use (and that remains the case to this day).
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