A Look Back
Stone-laying in 1909
The original of this photo hangs on the back wall of the church hall. It was taken on the 18th of September 1909 on the occasion of the laying of a memorial stone to mark a significant stage in the construction of the church building.
The platform party appear to be standing on a temporary scaffold, roughly on a level with the top of the front entry porch. Notice the fashionably dressed ladies at the back, with their elaborate hats. The men mostly wear bowler hats, although a few men with bonnets appear at the fringes of the gathering.
Most intriguing is the "artist" with his easel at the top right of the photo - unfortunately the writing on the board is too indistinct to be deciphered.
A close-up of the platform party is shown in the next photo.
The Platform Party
In the centre of the photo is Archibald MacNeilage, the editor of the Free Church Monthly Record, who is to be seen tamping the stone into position. To the left of the photo the gentleman with the top hat and the once fashionable side-whiskers, is Principal McCulloch. He was the minister of Hope Street Gaelic Church and was the first interim-moderator of the Govanhill congregation and helped to nurse it through the early years of its existence.