St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Colombo

St. Andrew's Scots Kirk, is located at 73 Galle Road, Colombo. The church was founded in the late 19th century, and prospered during the colonial and post-colonial periods. It was the centre for the Scottish community in Colombo. The first Presbyterian church in Ceylon, St. Andrew's Church, was built on Prince Street, Pettah (now known as Sir Baron Jayathilaka Mawatha). The foundation stone was laid on 26 February 1841 by the then Governor James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie and the first church service was held on 21 August 1842. The inaugural pastor, Rev. Joseph Marsh, was also the first colonial chaplain of Ceylon. Towards the end of the 19th century many of the church's congregation left the country and returned to Scotland. As the congregation diminished and the Colombo fort area became more commercialised, a decision was made to relocate the church to a site in Colpetty. The church's chaplain, Rev. Alexander Dunn, oversaw the acquisition of the site and the construction of the new church. The former church was demolished and the land sold to fund the new church (the former location is now the site of the Whiteaway, Laidlaw & Co. Building). The foundation stone was laid by Governor Sir Henry Arthur Blake on 16 August 1906. The church was designed by Edward Skinner, a Scottish born architect, and constructed by Walker Sons and Company. The sanctuary was built in a year and th

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