Laying of the foundation stone for St Andrew's Cathedral

Named after St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, this church was constructed with funds from Scottish merchants in Singapore.^[1] The site at the junction of North Bridge Road and Stamford Road was specially reserved for a church by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1822.^[2] At the time, worshippers of the Church of England still depended on the chaplains of the East India Company ships and missionaries of other Christian denominations to provide religious services.^[3]

What is seen today is not the first church built on the site. The first church was designed by architect George D. Coleman in the neoclassical style.^[4] Its foundation stone was laid in 1834 (given as 1835 in some other accounts) and the church was consecrated on 10 September 1838.^[5] A steeple was later added to the structure.^[6] However, after being struck twice by lightning, the building was declared unsafe and closed in 1852 before it was eventually demolished.^[7] The foundation stone of the present church building was laid on 4 March 1856 by Bishop Daniel Wilson of Calcutta.^[8] The architect was Ronald MacPherson, and construction of the church was carried out by Indian convicts.^[9] The church was consecrated on 25 January 1862 by Bishop G. E. Cotton of Calcutta,^[10] and was elevated to cathedral status on 20 December 1870.^[11]

St Andrew's Cathedral is one of the few examples of English Gothic architecture that still exists in Singapore. Despite its obvious resemblance to English churches, the cathedral includes some adaptations to the tropical climate, such as the porte cochère, which allows passengers to alight from a vehicle under shelter, and generously proportioned windows to cool and ventilate the building.^[12]

In 1973, St Andrew's Cathedral was gazetted as a national monument, along with seven other landmarks.^[13]

References
1. Buckley, C. B. (1984). An anecdotal history of old times in Singapore 1819–1867 (pp. 287–288). Singapore: Oxford University Press. Call no.: RSING 959.57 BUC-[HIS].
2. Buckley, 1984, p. 286; Tan, K. Y. L., & Lim, C. S. (2012). Raffles’ letters: Intrigues behind the founding of Singapore (p. 66). Singapore: National Library Board. Call no.: RSING 959.5703 TAN-[HIS].
3. St. Andrew's Cathedral. (2006). St. Andrew’s Cathedral: A living church ( p. 1). Singapore: St Andrew's Cathedral, Diocese of Singapore. Call no.: RSING 283.95957 SAI.
4. Buckley, 1984, p. 288.
5. Buckley, 1984, p. 289; St. Andrew’s Cathedral. (1897, January 22). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advetiser (1884–1942), p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG..
6. Buckley, 1984, pp. 289–290; Edwards, N., & Keys, P. (1988). Singapore: A guide to buildings, streets, places (p. 371). Singapore: Times Books International. Call no.: RSING 915.957 EDW; Lee, G. B. (2002). The religious monuments of Singapore: Faiths of our forefathers (p. 52). Singapore: Landmark Books and Preservation of Monuments Board. Call no.: RSING 726.095957 LEE.
7. Buckley, 1984, p. 292.
8. Untitled. (1856, March 4). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Buckley, 1984, p. 294; McNair, J. F. A. (1899). Prisoners their own warders (pp. 11, 97–101). [Microfilm: NL 12115]. Westminster: A. Constable.
10. Buckley, 1984, p. 296.
11. Buckley, 1984, p. 299.
12. Liu, G. (1996). In granite and chunam: The national monuments of Singapore  (p. 174). Singapore: Landmark Books and Preservation of Monuments Board. Call no.: RSING English 725.94095957 LIU.
13. Republic of Singapore. Government Gazette. Subsidiary Legislation Supplement. (1973, July 6). The Preservation of Monuments Order 1973 (S228/1973, p. 377). Singapore: [s.n.]. Call no.: RSING 348.5957 SGGSLS; Preserving our heritage: Wayang Street is the focal point. (1973, August 2). The Straits Times, p. 12. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.