In December 1917, when General Allenby entered the Old City of Jerusalem on foot, through Jaffa Gate, British rule over Palestine began. The British, who governed first by military government, later (until Israel's independence in 1948) by Mandatory administration, set up their administrative centre for the country in Jerusalem. During these years, Jerusalem began its transformation from the provi
ncial town of Ottoman times to a modern administrative, political, religious and cultural centre. The British determined municipal zones, commercial areas, density of construction, use of materials and height of buildings. Perhaps their most influential contribution to the character of architecture in Jerusalem was a municipal ordinance which remains in effect to this day requiring all new buildings to be faced with stone, giving a certain romantic quality to the buildings. While much of the public building in Jerusalem was initiated and financed by Jewish organizations, the British constructed Government House (the residence of the High Commissioner), St. Andrew's Church, the Central Post Office and the Government Printing House. (From an article on Architecture In The British Mandate period by Lili Eylon)
The Beginning Part ll...
One writer describes St Andrew's as follows: The clean, plain lines of St. Andrews Scots Memorial Church and Hospice standing on the edge of the Valley of Hinnom evoke images of a Highland castle and keep. This is appropriate since the church was built as a memorial to Scottish soldiers who fell fighting in this region during World War I. The church was built in 1927 to the design of Clifford Holliday. The large, Crusader-style windows in the sanctuary use small, round panels of blue Hebron glass. The building is a mixture of oriental and western elements. Some of the distinguishing features of the building reflect that of another building, Government House, designed by the architects A Harrison and C Holliday, including the beautiful Armenian tiles (see picture above)outside the entrance to the Guest House, the Church and the Veranda. These were created by David Ohanessian (1884 - 1953) in his Dome of the Rock Workshop on the Via Delarosa. During more recent years excavations have revealed archaeological finds both in the Loggia ([n] a roofed arcade or gallery with open sides stretching along the front or side of a building; often at an upper level) of St Andrew's and more recently on the land immediately in front of the grounds of St Andrew's, where further discoveries were made, some of which can be seen from the driveway and parking area for the Guest House and Church The site of St Andrew's has meant that it is an architectural landmark, even in the significant skyline of Jerusalem. The spacious public rooms give a feeling of tranquillity. There is an unforgettable view of the Old City from the veranda. The whole building, church and guest house together, is a lasting tribute to the generous response of the parishes and people of Scotland and to the vision of the architect, Clifford Holliday (who also designed the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem)
St Andrew's Church & Guest House are part of the Church of Scotland, a Christian denomination in the Reformed, Presbyterian, Protestant tradition. The reason it came about was as recognition for the price paid in human lives by a disproportionate number of men from the Scottish regiments, which played such a prominent role in the Palestine campaign. Back in Scotland the feeling grew that there should be some fitting memorial and in January 1918, not long after the capture of Jerusalem, Ninian Hill, a ship owner and Kirk elder from Edinburgh, proposed that a Scottish Church should be built in Jerusalem to act as a war memorial. This gained widespread support and the money was raised through a nationwide campaign; and on May 7th 1927, the now Field Marshall Lord Allenby laid the foundation stone (which can still be seen outside, at the corner of the steps) on a lofty site across the Hinnom Valley, from Mount Zion. The Church, with its accompanying Hospice, was dedicated in 1930, with Ninian Hill being introduced as the first minister of the Church.From its inception the hospice has been a popular temporary home. During the early years, St Andrew's was able to serve the sizeable Scottish population who lived and worked in Jerusalem during the year of the British Mandate. An Israeli lady who arrived in Jerusalem in 1933 remembers the hospice as "the place to stay - very upmarket" The Lady Warden at that time, Mrs Macrae, ruled the hospice with a firm but kindly hand. Dress had to be formal in the dining room and was compatible with military life. Ties and long trousers were compulsory, regardless of temperature. In the vestry there is a splendidly evocative photograph of the 2nd Battalion, the Cameron Highlanders, on church parade, kilts, pipes and drums and pith helmets which give us some understanding as to the lifestyle presided over by the lady wardens of pre-Second World War days . The End of the Mandate Period...
The character of St Andrew's changed dramatically in 1947/48 with the end of the British Mandate and the establishment of the State of Israel and the associated war, which led to a division of both Jerusalem and the Holy Land. The Scottish population of the city plummeted with the withdrawal of the British military administration and St Andrew's found itself just on the western side of the Green line that divided the city, cut off from most of Jerusalem Christian community and the majority of the Holy sites, which were in the part of the land controlled by Jordan. The minister of St Andrew's used to ring St Bride's bell at a fixed time each day to indicate that he was still alive; there was no more conventional contact between East and West Jerusalem. The hospice during this time was operating only intermittently. The Rev Clark Kerr, who was in charge, was often the only person at church for the Sunday morning service. On his departure, the church and hospice were left in the care of the sometime Session Clerk and Treasurer, a former policeman and foundation member of St Andrew's named Mr John Reid who volunteered as guardian while his wife Mary worked as Lady Warden of the hospice. With the Rev Hall they maintained worship at a time when this proved to be of great spiritual and religious value, and Mrs Reid relied on her resourcefulness to prevent the hospice falling into complete disrepair, but kept it serviceable and accommodated Mr W. Wilson of the British Consulate General, with his family. Mr Reid was awarded an MBE for his efforts, a recognition which reflected also the "innumerable services to the Church" of Mrs Reid and their children Melville, Mary and Catherine, through this time of political turmoil, acute danger, and socio-economic problems. In 1955 the Rev & Mrs William Gardiner Scott took over the care of the church and hospice. Bill and Dorinka recorded that the hospice was a terrible mess. Junk was stored everywhere, rooms had been let out to soi-disant missionaries, orange boxes were piled high to the ceiling, only primus stoves were available for cooking and laundry had to be washed in large metal tubs heated over stoves on the floor. As reliable domestic staff proved difficult, so the Gardiner Scotts did most of the work themselves
In recent year, the Church of Scotland, through its local congregation at St Andrew's and at the level of its Board of World Mission, has become conscious of the need not only to minister to pilgrims from overseas, but also to engage more fully with the peoples and problems of this troubled land. As a result several steps have been taken, including the creation of a formal partnership between the Church of Scotland, the Diocese of the Episcopal Church, in Jerusalem and the Middle East in addition to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land (ELCJHL). The church is seeking to develop a greater educational emphasis, by organising programmes and -alternative pilgrimages- that will enable visitors to meet local people, especially local Christians, and so deepen their understanding of the contemporary problems of the Holy Land. In order to provide a place of comfort and peace for our guests, the Guest House, will continue with a phased programme of renovations and on-going maintenance It is important to us that whatever works are done, the unique character of the building will not be seriously affected. In 1980 a flat was added to the top floor which currently houses the General Manager. By 1986 it was felt that communal bathrooms were a thing of the past, and extensive alterations made to give each bedroom its own facilities. Glass was added to the veranda to make it more useful in winter. The coffee shop was opened in 2005 to provide a meeting place for visitors and guests, and allow everyone to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of St Andrews. Sunbula, a non-profit organisation which markets handicrafts from self-help groups was located at St Andrew's in 1988, founded on principles of justice and fair-trading. Initially located in a small room beside the reception area, then moving to a larger room beside the main entrance it has now been located in a room beside the main lounge
and finally ...
In 2006 we changed our name to the St Andrew's Scottish Guest House and we are known locally as "The Scottie" . In 2006, the improvements continued as we replaced some windows and balcony doors. With air conditioning in all the public areas, we intend to extend this facility to the bedrooms in the spring of 2007. 2007 will also see further renovations to upgade the plumbing, bathrooms and the kitchen to meet the needs of the 21st century.
