The Laigh Kirk was founded in 1738 as the original Burgh Kirk of Paisley.
Paisley Presbytery had decided as early as 1730 that there was a great need for a Church within the bounds of the Burgh of Paisley. However, it was not until the 12th February 1733 that the Town Council first discussed the matter. Another 3 years passed before the start was made to build the Low (Laigh) Church in the Meikle Yard. This was completed in 1738. The original building still stands and is now the Paisley Arts Centre in New Street. The first minister of this new church was the Rev. Robert Mitchell.
From 1756 the Minister of the Laigh Kirk was the Rev John Witherspoon. In 1766 Princeton University invited him to become the President of the University and Witherspoon would go on to be a pivotal figure in the formation United States of America.
By 1820 there was a need for a larger Low Church and the congregation moved to a new building in George Street in 1820. This was named St George's Low Church.
In 1834, as part of the Laigh Kirk’s outward missionary activity and as an attempt to help the burgeoning cotton town, a daughter church was founded, the South Church. This was originally a Chapel of Ease under the Kirk Session of the Low church.
The new South Church had barely found its feet when the Disruption divided the Church of Scotland. The division was sorely felt in the Laigh, with the St George's Low Church congregation remaining within the Established Church, whilst the South Church congregation would leave the Church of Scotland to become the Free South Church.
The Free South congregation for a while continued to worship in and use the existing South Church Building in Neilston Road before finally moving to purpose built premises in Causeyside Street in 1850.
For over 130 years the two halves of the congregation lived side by side and would have seen the town change greatly. Interestingly enough, following the re-Union of the Church of Scotland in 1929, both congregations found themselves once again part of the same Kirk. They co-existed happily and over time both buildings were developed and the two churches adapted to the needs of their new respective parishes.
It was not until 1985 that both churches, now called St Andrews (the former Free South) and St Georges (The Low/Laigh Kirk), united to become one again. And so, the new Laigh Kirk was born.
