Built on the Middleton estate of Sir John Pender (whose initials can be seen on Muir’s Buildings), it opened in 1893 or 1894 as a new mission church in Uphall of Uphall Parish Free Church, which was actually in Broxburn – now Brown’s Funeral Parlour.  The building became the United Free Church in 1901 with union of the Free Church and UP Church nationally.

Enlarged with a new church building at the front which opened on this spot on 10 June 1926.  A dedication ceremony took place with no fewer than 16 ministers in attendance, including the Moderator of the UF Church’s General Assembly.  The masonry work was by that well known Uphall firm CE Nathaniel and Co, and the slating and plastering by the firm of Paris of Broxburn.  The architect was a well-known West Calder man, J.G. Fairley, who was responsible for a large number of public buildings in the county, including the Dreadnought Hotel in Bathgate, Balbardie Primary School, and his masterpiece, St David’s Church in Bathgate. The front and a few feet of the sides are of red sandstone, the rest is of brick.  The old church was fortunately set so far back from the room as to allow a new church to be built in front of it.  It survives as the church hall.

The church became part of the Church of Scotland, as Uphall South Church, at the national union of the Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland in 1929.

Former West Lothian History Librarian Sybil Cavanagh gave a Guided Walk of Uphall in August 2019. We are pleased to reproduce this article with her kind permission.