Photo Willie Lyle
Perhaps the only clear image of the Abbey Church, which was to later become the Abbey Cinema. The church itself was opened with full Masonic honours by Brother James Gibson R.W.M. of Burns' Mother Lodge, St. David Tarbolton No.133, on 16th August 1884. It was demolished in 1969. A lead container found by the demolishers can be viewed in the Burns House Museum, Mauchline. Included within the container were copies of newspapers and coinage of the day. As seen from the list of Free Church ministers below, there are pre Abbey Church ministers between the opening of The Abbey in 1884, and disruption in the Parish Church in 1843. WF Blair's book on Mauchline suggests there was a former place of worship on that site.
"... The other two churches in Mauchline are comparatively modern erections, and being fine, handsome buildings are a great asset to the appearance of the village. Both the old churches which these new buildings substituted were very plain erections, the old U.P. having an outside stair leading to the gallery. In the last year or so of its existence occupants of gallery seats had to be very careful as it happened on one or two occasions an unwary step led to the floor and the ceiling underneath being pierced with somewhat ludicrous results.
The old Free Church had no gallery, but had the appearance of two long sheds built together, there being a gutter running along between the inner sides of the two roofs. It may not be generally known that this church was many years ago used as a polling booth but such is the case. "