United Reform Church, Leven Street, Dumbarton

Rectangular plan Greek Revival church with finely detailed pedimented entrance elevation to N. Coursed stone ashlar. Low rubble wall to E and N. Highly decorative cast iron railings by Walter McFarlane and Co. with patera, scroll and feather patterns.

This is a distinctive church, prominently positioned on principal road in Dumbarton and with a particularly distinguished entrance elevation. The Greek Revival Style was most famously explored by Alexander (Greek) Thomson (1817 - 1875) and it is likely that his work influenced this design. The restrained pedimented entrance is of some quality and contains much finely detailed and well balanced use of Greek ornament.

The interior retains much of the original furniture and fine examples of etched and coloured glass, all of which have similar classical Greek detailing. John K Clark (2005), suggests that two plans were initially drawn up by the architects for the church, one in a Gothic design and one in a Greek Revival style, where the latter has been chosen. The original design allowed for a gallery, but this was not built.

Originally the Dumbarton Evangelical Union Congregational Church, it became the United Reform Church in 2000. Thomas Dykes and Andrew Robertson were Glasgow based architects who had a short lived partnership from 1882-1888. The railings around the church are a fine example from the ironfoundery of Walter McFarlane and Co, Glasgow. Scotland had a thriving, productive ironfounding industry in the latter half of the 19th century and Walter McFarlane and Co, Glasgow was an architectural ironfoundery with an international reputation, whose designs found their way to countries across the globe. The pattern for the railings is number 295 in McFarlane´s castings book of circa 1880. (Historic Scotland)

April 2009: Local planners bring the building to the attention of SCT. The building is still in use, the church themselves have wanted to demolish it for several years in order to redevelop the site. The building is said to be suffering various structural problems which the church cannot afford to rectify.

March 2011: External inspection finds the church appears to remain in use. Windows appear to be newish. Gutters are clear, surrounding grounds maintained. Keep at ALERT at this time.

23 April 2013: External inspection finds the church generally in Fair condition and being marketed for sale through agents Thompson and co.

23 July 2013: The former church is noted as being Under Offer.

13 April 2017: Listed Building Consent for the conversion of the former church into flats is being sought ref: DC16/175.

5 February 2020: External inspection finds the building now in overall Fair condition, however deterioration is evident and the building has been vacated. There are no obvious signs of regular maintenance. High level vegetation growths are visible. There is green staining and saturation of the masonry at the north west corner downpipe indicating a blockage in the gutter - masonry is beginning to show signs of erosion here. Listed building consent for conversion of the building to form flats was conditionally approved in 2019.

Moved to At Risk from Alert.