On the 10th of January, 1917, the Hamilfield United Free Church, Beith burned down.
Following the formation of the Free Church of Scotland in 1843, a Free Church was built in New Street, Beith which opened on 31 March 1844, with Rev. Matthew Dickie as its first minister. By the time that Rev. Henry Fotheringham Henderson, M.A., was inducted in 1878, the congregation had outgrown the church, and it was decided to build a new church in the north-east end of the town. The land for the new church was donated by the Hamilfield estate. In May 1882, the Free Church was sold along with two adjoining properties to the Dr Livingstone Lodge of Good Templars for £425.
On Saturday 26th August 1882 the memorial stone of the new Free Church was laid by Robert William Cochran-Patrick, M.P. for North Ayrshire with full masonic honours within the main entrance of the church. Located inside the memorial stone was a cavity containing a hermetically sealed glass jar containing copies of local and daily newspapers and 1882 coinage. After the official laying of the memorial stone a dinner was held in the public school in New Street.
The new Free Church opened in Wilson Street, Beith, on Thursday 28th June 1883 with Rev. Dr Whyte of St. George’s Free Church, Edinburgh officiating. The church built in the early English Gothic style, consisted of an oblong church with seating for 600, with a 90-foot-high octagonal tower on the left-hand side. The architects were Robert Baldie and William Tennant of Glasgow. The new church bell was cast by Messrs John C. Wilson & Co., of Glasgow. The ornate pulpit was built by Messrs Ross & Manson of Glasgow. It became known as the Hamilfield Free Church. In 1900 following its union with the United Presbyterian Church, it became known as the Hamilfield United Free Church.
On the afternoon of Wednesday 10th January 1917, the alarm was raised after a fire broke out in the east end of the Hamilfield United Free Church near the pulpit, which spread quickly. The West Renfrewshire Fire Brigade quickly arrived but didn’t have sufficient water to put out the fire. The main building of the church was completely gutted by fire, although the session house was saved.
On 4th November 1917 the Hamilfield United Free Church, Head Street Church and the Mitchell United Free Church were united with the congregation worshipping at the Head Street Church, which became known as the United Free Church, Beith. In 1921 the Mitchell Street Church was sold to cinema proprietors, Greens. The Hamilfield Church was rebuilt and extended at a cost of £11,000. On Sunday 24th January 1926 the new United Free Church, Beith opened, with seating for 800. The rebuilt church included a kitchen, anteroom, two entrance halls with three cloakrooms, a minister’s room and a large session house. The new pulpit was gifted to the church by the McNeill family in memory of their brother, and a white marble font was gifted in memory of the father of the McLachlan family. A war memorial window and oak memorial panels were installed to remember the 50 fallen members of the church congregation. The church was renamed the Trinity United Free Church and later the Trinity Church.