Letter to the Editor
The Greenock Telegraph
Greenock

20 September 2003

Dear Editor

Following on from the excellent letter by T.A. Dunn in The Telegraph on Monday 1 September I write to highlight another example of our heritage being lost before our eyes, that being the magnificent Mount Zion Church in Quarriers Village. The church is at present under threat of development into fourteen residential flats which when finished would look immediately over the cemetery where William Quarrier, his family and the many children who died in care are buried.

This year is the centenary of William Quarrier’s death.  A Greenock born man of great vision who overcame a childhood of poverty to become a successful businessman but he never forgot his own childhood and therefore had strong compassion for the poor and needy children that he saw on the streets of Glasgow. First and foremost William Quarrier was a Christian man whose life and work was always guided by his faith. The church was seen by him as the capstone of the completed Quarriers Village.

When Mount Zion Church opened in 1888, the North British Daily Mail reported;

The event was rightly regarded by Mr. Quarrier...as one of great importance in the history of the beneficent work to which he has devoted all his means, his time, his great organising power and his marvellous faith.

Readers, can you imagine anyone today deciding to personally build a new village to help the underprivileged children, the focal point being this amazing church which was known affectionately as “The Childrens Cathedral”. What faith and courage Quarrier must have had to start on this venture, surely we have a duty now to do all we can to ensure that future generations and tourists can marvel at the work of this man. In this day and age of enlightenment regarding the benefits of protecting our heritage and also attracting tourists surely this structure should be retained and improved for this purpose, along with other viable proposals which have been presented, rather than being converted into flats.

There is a way to keep Mount Zion open as a place of worship and as a focal point for the community in Quarriers Village. An independent structural survey has been carried out on the church and the findings show the building is in good condition requiring only routine maintenance. Mount Zion is eligible for help from a new Heritage Lottery Fund (Repair Grants for Places of Worship). As your readers are probably already aware, churches in Greenock and Paisley have already received substantial sums.

Following local efforts to highlight the quality and history associated with the church, Historic Scotland has given the church a Category B listing because of the building’s history and architectural features.

A detailed business plan has been presented to Quarriers’ management showing a variety of ways in which the church could generate income so that it would not be a financial burden on the charity. Quarriers should now give the villagers the opportunity to launch that business plan which could save the church for future generations, former boys and girls, and tourists who may visit and marvel at the work of William Quarrier.

The church is not yet sold nor is the conversion of the church a formality. The planning process is still to be run and should the planning application be defeated then the church will remain for all future generations to freely enter and enjoy, as many previous generations have done.

Quarriers have decided that they want to press on with their plans to convert the church and a developer is understood to be in the process of lodging a planning application to convert the church into flats. This will be vigorously opposed locally and support from the various organisations, local and national, who have been formed to protect our heritage and historic buildings is being mustered at present.

You the readers could play a vital part in saving this church, which is very much a part of Inverclyde's history by voicing your opinion on this development. Please support this cause by watching for a planning notice in the Greenock Telegraph, then write your thoughts on the proposal to Council Planning Department.

E.D.Cracknell