St Matthew's Church

About

St Matthew's Church in Paisley is notable for its Art Nouveau architecture by WD McLennan, and stained glass window by Robert Anning Bell. The church was built between 1905 and 1907 (1907) and shares a small traffic island on Gordon Street with a (now disused) fire station. Originally called St George's East Free Church, it became a Church of Scotland with reunification in 1929, and was later renamed St Matthew's.

Due to falling numbers, the church closed in 1988 and was taken over by the Church of the Nazarene, who had previously been meeting in a hall in nearby Orchard Street. Twenty-eight existing members St Matthews joined with the congregation from the Nazarene church. The architecture of St Matthew's is described by Historic Scotland as an "Art Nouveau interpretation of Perpendicular Gothic".

It was designed by William Daniel McLennan, from Paisley, who was himself a member of the congregation. McLennan, a contemporary of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, was notable for his Art Nouveau architecture, which is found in a number of houses in Paisley as well as the Bull Inn and another church in the Ralston area of the town. The original plans included a massive spire but this idea was...