Melville United Free Church, Skene Street, Aberdeen

Melville United Free Church, built in 1901-1903 by Brown and Watt, is a two-story, five-bay former church displaying Baroque detailing. The exterior is constructed of tooled, coursed grey granite ashlar, with finely finished margins. The lower half of the ground floor features rough-faced dark grey granite, while other areas incorporate dividing, eaves, and blocking courses. Projecting cills are found on the ground floor. First-floor windows are architraved, with a cill cornice, pilastered central astragals, and pilastered bays.

The northwest elevation, facing Skene Street, is asymmetrical. The three central bays project slightly and feature bipartite windows on both ground and first floors. A round-arched window dominates the wallhead, surrounded by molded detailing and a keystone, flanked by two roundels, incorporating pilasters and a pediment above. The roofline sweeps down to create a blocking course. Regular fenestration is present in the flanking bay to the left.

A five-stage, square-plan engaged tower projects to the bay on the left. The base of the tower, constructed of rough-faced granite, has six stone steps leading to a pedimented former doorway, flanked by square piers and a low granite wall surmounted by a balustrade. Decorative iron lamp stands formerly topped these piers. A polished blind round arch is visible on the left return, along with three pairs of bipartite windows on the second stage and narrow vertical openings on each elevation of the third stage. A bull’s-eye window, set in a pilastered tablet, sits above. A deep cornice defines the base of the stepped-back fourth stage, featuring a round-arched, pedimented window with a balustraded apron, flanked by fluted Ionic columns. Square-plan pinnacles rise from each corner, topped with sugar-loaf finials. The stepped-back fifth stage is adorned with a carved panel on each elevation and culminates in a pyramidal stone spire with a small oculus on each side, finishing with a finial at the apex.

The southwest and southeast elevations are largely obscured by adjacent buildings.

The northeast elevation is also asymmetrical, with a tower on the right (as described above). Bipartite windows are found in four bays to the right, on both ground and first floors. A single window is above on the first floor of the bay to the left. An opening leads to a courtyard, and a bowed bay, with a ground floor doorway and three first-floor windows, is positioned to the right. Flanking bays are not visible as of 2000. A five-bay former hall flanks the courtyard opening to the left, featuring a bipartite window in each bay, and three blind openings on the right return.

Modern timber windows are present throughout the building. The grey slate roofs have lead ridges, and decorative timber ventilators are found on both the former hall and church. Stone skews are also present, along with cast-iron rainwater goods. The interior was not inspected in 2000.