St Stephen's Church, Edinburgh
in Edinburgh, United KingdomCategory: Attraction
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St Stephens Centre, St Stephen St, Edinburgh EH3 5AB, EH35AB, UK Print route »
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Saint Stephen's Church is located in the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the bottom of Saint Vincent Street. It was built in 1827-1828, to a design by architect William Henry Playfair (1789–1857).
The first minister of the church was William Muir, who opened an evening school in the large vaulted cellars of the church for the education of the illiterate.
The interior was altered in 1956, the congregation having declined. A major fundraising effort was organised led by the then minister, the Revd A. Ian Dunlop. This was one of the first subdivisions of major buildings in Edinburgh, with the reconstructed church occupying effectively the gallery level accessed by the main staircase from Howe Street, and a number of halls (including a main hall with fully fitted stage etc.) and meeting rooms formed below. These halls have over the years hosted a number of events including Festival Fringe shows. During the reconstruction the church fittings by architect David Rhind (1808–1883) were kept, as was the organ by Willis, which was re-built on the "gallery" level.
On 27 June 2014, Leslie Benzies, a video game producer and at the time president of Rockstar North, announced a deal to purchase the church for over 500 thousand pounds. He plans to preserve the building and create a trust composed of members of the community to manage it.
