in June 1980. It was granted Heritage New Zealand historic place category 2 status in 2005. The regular congregation was down to less than 10 people, by the time the church held its last service in January 2015. With a ratable value of $90,000 it was sold in 2016 for use as a holiday home. Lawrence Methodist church The first services for Methodists in the district were provided by the Reverend Isaac Harding of Dunedin towards the end of 1862 in two canvas churches, one in Munro’s Gully, and another in Gabriel’s Gully. Eventually these were replaced by a permanent church at Gabriel’s Gully in 1870. In Lawrence itself a Methodist church was constructed of brick on Colonsay Street and opened free of debt in 1865. Unfortunately it was then discovered that due to a surveying error part of the building had been constructed on Catholic land. It was used for eight years and then pulled down. Meanwhile a new site was obtained on the corner of Whitehaven Street, where a by wooden church which cost £320 was constructed. It was officially opened on 14 September 1873, by the Rev. C. W. Rigg. Lawrence Presbyterian church The first Presbyterian services were held in the district in open air at Gabriel's Gully in July 1861 by layman John Gillies. By 1864 with the support of local congregation and the organisation of a soiree, enough money (including a donation of £50 from Gabriel Read) was raised to allow for the erection of a wooden church building at 7 Colonsay Street. The church's first permanent minister was the Reverend Dr James Copland. By the mid-1880s it was decided to replace the existing church with a new church on the same section of land. The new building which was opened in September 1886 by D. M. Stuart of Knox Church in Dunedin was designed by Dunedin architect R.A. Lawson. The original church building remained on site and was used as a Sunday School. The new church was constructed of red brick on stone foundations and featured crenellations above the entrance. It was the first church in Otago to have an organ. Up until then a precentor had been used to lead the congregation. Over time the brick exterior was plastered, the spire and pinnacles were removed and a shorter belfry created. Due to a declining congregation the church was sold around 1994 to a