St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore
11 St Andrew's Road, Singapore 178959
This site is gazetted as a National Monument of Singapore on 6 July 1973
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St Andrew's Cathedral is the largest Anglican cathedral in Singapore. It is located near City Hall, and close to the entrance to Raffles City and the City Hall MRT Station. St Andrew's Cathedral is bordered by St Andrew's Road, Coleman Street, North Bridge Road and Stamford Road. I photographed it for AsiaExplorers from the direction of Stamford Road.
St Andrew's Cathedral.
Like the Armenian Church, St Andrew's Cathedral was originally also designed by George Drumgoole Coleman, and built between 1835 and 1836. However, when the church was rebuilt, the second St Andrew's Cathedral was designed by John Turnbull Thomson, around 1842. The second cathedral was damaged by lightning strikes, in 1845 and 1849. That, along with rumours of hauntings, caused it to be closed in 1852 and eventually demolished in 1855.
The existing cathedral is the third St Andrew's. This one was designed by Colonel Ronald MacPherson, superintendent of convicts in Singapore. Right Reverend Daniel Wilson, the Lord Bishop of Calcutta, laid the foundation stone on 4 March 1856. The first service held at this building was on 1 October 1861. Right Reverend G.E.L. Cotton, successor to Daniel Wilson, consecrated it on 25 January 1862.
The three different incarnations of St Andrew's Cathedral were in three different designs. George Coleman's was in the Palladian style (probably similar to the St George's Anglican Church in Penang). JT Thomson's design had a tower and sphire, but not architecturally impressive - so much the better as it was subsequently demolished. The third and existing design is said to lack the refinement of its 13th Century English prototype, but this can be explained as due to the use of Indian convicts as its builders. Nevertheless, it takes advantage of the Padang and today contributed to the Singapore skyline, although somewhat dwarfed by mammoth highrises surrounding it.
Within the apse are stained-glass windows dedicated to Stamford Raffles; John Crawfurd, who was the first Major Resident of Singapore; and Major General William Butterworth, the Governor of the Straits Settlements. A grey and red memorial monument surmounted by a Maltese cross in the grounds of the cathedral as well as a stained-glass window at the west door commemorates Ronald MacPherson. Jalan Klapa was also renamed MacPherson Road in his rememberance.
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