National Presbylutheran Church
The National Presbylutheran Church is the mother-church of the Presbylutheran Church of Kaitan-Leagran and also serves as the de facto church of the Freetown District Synod. An example of late 19th century baroque with Italian Renaissance influences, the church was the work of the noted Orthodox architect Alexander Fotopoulos. Fotopoulos' nomination as architect caused consternation in the General Assembly, with some members concerned over whether an unduly Byzantine style would be adopted. Fotopoulos' bombastic and self-confident design helped to alievate these concerns and the plans were passed by the Assembly in July 1894.
In order to by-pass Finaran legislation, which prohibited the construction of non-Catholic places of worship, the General Assembly (which itself was disguised as the "New Deasrargle Temperance Society" in order to escape the law), planning permission was sought for a church under the auspices of the Dominican Order. It would not be until 1909, when the church was in the final stages of construction, that the Finaran authorities discovered the true nature of the enterprise, that attempts were made to halt all building work. In response, the General Assembly organised a strike by Protestant labourers at the site of the Palace of the Oireachtas. The Colonial Authorities, anxious to have the Parliament builidng completed prior to the Tenth Anniversary celebrations of King Sean II's coronation, relented and announced at the subsequent trial for fraud and planning irregularity (see Crown vs. The New Deasrargle Temperance Society 1909) that 'temporary' permission would be granted on condition of the return to work of the Protestant labourers and that no other Protestant places of worship were built. To the present day, therefore, the Church stands only on a 'temporary' basis that may, at any time, be rescinded by the Government (though the liklihood of this is exceedingly remote).
Completed in 1911, the church now stands at 114 m long, 73 m wide and 116 m tall is considered by many to be a Protestant counterweight to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
