History
The present steeple dates from 1814, and was designed by the architect David Hamilton in a classical style. It is 43 metres (141 ft) high, with cells on the upper floors and a clock in the third of the four stages of the building.
The steeple was damaged in 1927 when it was struck by lightning, causing the spire to be destroyed. So harsh was the lightning strike, parts of the roof were found scattered several metres away. One casualty from the incident was "Irn Bru", a Barr's delivery horse. The upper 9 metres (30 ft) of the steeple was rebuilt. A family living in property adjacent to the steeple had a miraculous escape. The masonry crashed through the roof of their house trapping them. Mrs Isabella Barr, age 21, her sons James age 2 and Andrew age 1, were buried in the rubble. Newspapers at the time described that the "clothes had been torn from their bodies". Mrs Barr also suffered a broken leg and deep lacerations. The verification of these injuries is given by Mrs Barr's youngest son, Stephen on 6th Sept 2012.
The steeple contains a prison cell which was still in use until 1984.
Read more about this topic: Falkirk Steeple
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“It may be well to remember that the highest level of moral aspiration recorded in history was reached by a few ancient Jews—Micah, Isaiah, and the rest—who took no count whatever of what might not happen to them after death. It is not obvious to me why the same point should not by and by be reached by the Gentiles.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“I assure you that in our next class we will concern ourselves solely with the history of Egypt, and not with the more lurid and non-curricular subject of living mummies.”
—Griffin Jay, and Reginald LeBorg. Prof. Norman (Frank Reicher)
“Let us not underrate the value of a fact; it will one day flower in a truth. It is astonishing how few facts of importance are added in a century to the natural history of any animal. The natural history of man himself is still being gradually written.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)