St Andrew's church is situated in the centre of St An drew's Square. It was founded in 1739, but not finished till 1756. It is nearly a copy of St Martin's in the Fields, Westminster, and is allowed to be as complete a speci men of the composite order of architecture as is to be found in Scotland. On the west front a grand portico is formed ; the arms of the city are displayed in the pedi ment in basso relievo ; a lofty spire, with a clock and bell in it, is placed at this front of the building : its form and proportions, however, are by no means in unison with the church.
St Enoch's church, situated on the south side of St Enoch's Square, fronting Buchanan Street, and founded in 1780, is of an oblong form ; a portico of the Doric order, is placed at the north end ; a lofty and handsome steeple, having a bell and clock in it, is formed at that end of the church.
The \Vynd church, which had been built by a party of Presbyterians during the time of Episcopacy in 1637, was found to be unsuitable for the congregation of the venera ble Dr Porteous. ' Accordingly, in 1807, the presbytery, with concurrence of the magistrates, translated the congre gation to St George's church, erected on the west side of Buchanan Street, fronting George's Street.
Few things are more difficult than to place a steeple or spire on a modern building, without destroying its effect. A Gothic church is usually proportioned in elevation to its tower ; but modern churches, built more for conve nience than grandeur, are for the most part so low in their walls, that the spire must either be insignificant in its own dimensions, or appear to crush the building to which it is merely attached, but with which it never seems to be con nected. Aware of this, Mr Stark, who gave the plan of this edifice, resolved that the tower should be the princi pal object of attention, to which the rest of the façade might be considered as an accompaniment. In this view, he was desirous of projecting it from the front of the church, over the side pavement of the street ; but this be ing thought objectionable, the idea was abandoned, and the tower carried back to the line of the font.
The tower itself, both in its general form, and in the variety as well as the proportion of its parts, is uncom monly beautiful ; and probably its termination, had the colossal statues intended by the architect been placed on its angles, would have been equally rich and graceful ; but many difficulties arose in getting well composed statues for so unusual a situation, without incurring an expense which the magistrates would have thought unjustifiable.
Iqr Stark accordingly agreed. with reluctance, to substi tute obelisks, which it must be confessed appear meagre terminations to the angles of the tower, and scarcely ac cord with the beautiful little temple which rises from its centre.
The place of worship for the Barony, or Landward pa rish, in the cathedral, having :become insufficient for the purpose, the heriters, in 1798, built a church adjoining, and in complete view of the cathedral and Royal Infirma ry, from a design of Mr Adam's. The architecture is of a mixed style, varying from the adjoining specimens of Gothic and Grecian architecture. The outline of the west front of this church has an imposing effect : it is to be re gretted, however, that the execution of the whole of the exterior is so much inferior to that of the adjoining build ings, to which it was intended to assimilate. This exten sive parish has chapels of ease, at Shettleston, Calton, and Anderston.
The Episcopal chapel is situated to the north of the pub lic green, and immediately behind St Andrew's Square. It is a handsome oblong building, erected by subscription in 1751. The altar, orchestra, and organ gallery, are placed on the east end of the chapel. The whole of the interior is fitted up with great taste, and the window over the altar is beautifully ornamented with scriptural devices.
A very magnificent Roman Catholic chapel, in chaste Gothic, is at present erecting on the north side of West Clyde Street, from designs by Mr James Gillespie. The towers and pinnacles, the embrazures, the grand entrance, and the magnificent window done up with mullions and tracery, surmounted by a colossal statue of St Andrew on the principal front, are well calculated to gratify the ad mirers of this venerable style of architecture. The but tresses, embrazures, and ornaments, of the other fronts, which are all executed in polished ashlar, hormonize with the general order. The nave and aisles of the interior are to be fitted up in strict conformity with the style of the ex terior. A valuable organ, now building, is to be placed in a gallery over the grand entrance, the altar being at the opposite end of the chapel. This place of worship, which does great credit to the taste of the architect, is to contain 2200 persons, and is calculated to cost about 13,0001. the greater part of which is to be raised by small weekly con tributions, from those persons who profess the Roman Ca tholic religion in the city and neighbourhood.