The church, inspired by
St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, While construction of it was started before the nearby
St Andrew's-by-the-Green, it was completed after, making it either the third or fourth oldest church in Glasgow, depending on criterion. The earlier two buildings were
Glasgow Cathedral and the
Trongate steeple. It was the first Presbyterian church built after the
Reformation, and was commissioned by the city's
Tobacco Lords as a demonstration of their wealth and power. which became fashionable homes for some of Glasgow's wealthiest merchants. The migration of the city westwards throughout the 19th century, however, resulted in a gradual slumming of the area and a dwindling congregation. The church was last used for a religious service in June 1993. St Andrew's has played its part in Scottish history; in December 1745, before the church's completion, the
Jacobite army, led by
Bonnie Prince Charlie, camped around the site, and within its semi-built walls, on its return from their failed battles in England. On 23 November 1785, huge crowds of Glaswegians gathered to watch
Vincenzo Lunardi take off from the churchyard in a
hot air balloon on a flight which took him south-east to
Hamilton and
Lanark, before eventually landing in
Hawick.
Agnes Maclehose (née Craig) married her husband James Maclehose in the church in 1776; Agnes is better known as Clarinda whose love letters to Robert Burns under the name Sylvander inspired him to write "
Ae Fond Kiss" for her. ==Notable ministers==