Four Paisley Architects Getting here Paisley Townscape Heritage and Conservation Whatever your mode of transport, you’ll Area Regeneration Scheme 2 (TH.CARS2) find it very easy to explore Paisley. aims to improve historic properties and James Donald streetscape and help regeneration in Paisley. By road

(1852–1917) Building repair and shopfront improvement Paisley town centre is only a five minute grants are available to property owners in a drive from Airport and is less The son of a Paisley farmer, James Donald defined area of Paisley town centre focusing than 15 minutes from Glasgow city centre. worked at an early age for the great on High Street, New Street, Shuttle Street and Glasgow architect Alexander ‘Greek’ George Place. Paisley sits just off the M8 motorway—with Thomson (1817–75) before setting up his lots of surrounding areas to explore. Take own practice in Paisley in 1881. A programme of heritage education, training M8 Junction 27 westbound coming from and events aims to engage diverse audiences Glasgow, or M8 Junction 29 eastbound Donald’s first major commission was the with the culture and heritage of Paisley. coming from Greenock/Loch Lomond. Liberal Club in 1886. Active in the Liberal The emphasis is on learning through making, Party, he was also in a good position to get particularly around traditional building skills ȋȋ www.trafficscotland.org the commission for Dunn Square from the and textiles. town’s Liberal MP, Sir William Dunn, and for By rail as many as 87 tenements along new widened More information about the streets. The best of these have memorable scheme is available online at Regular trains run between Paisley and corner towers, with wide arched ground www..gov.uk/THCars2 Glasgow Central and Ayrshire/. floor windows to public houses, shallow bay It is just a 12-minute train ride from Paisley windows, sometimes divided by heavy stone Gilmour Street Station to Glasgow Central. mullions and transoms. He also designed ȋȋ www.scotrail.co.uk numerous villas in Paisley’s suburbs.

Paisley is home to stunning architecture, nowhere more apparent than in its town centre…

Iconic buildings adorn the town’s skyline, an enduring legacy of the town’s time at the centre of the global textile trade and William Daniel McLennan James Steel Maitland Thomas Graham Abercrombie the civic altruism of the textile magnates. (1872–1940) (1887–1982) (1862–1926)

A number of Paisley architects were The son of a Paisley manufacturer, McLennan Maitland was apprenticed at age 14 to William TG, as he was known locally, set up Paisley’s engaged in its redevelopment and emerged as one of ’s most original Leiper and attended the Glasgow School most prolific and long-lived architectural expansion, and gave Paisley its enduring, architects active around the turn of the of Art. In 1908, he emigrated to Canada and, practice in 1886 at the age of 24. self-confident and prosperous character. 20th century. working for Brown and Vallance in Montreal, His first notable building was the rather designed three accomplished multi-storey His Renfrewshire output includes the country’s plain Gothic Greenlaw Church. With the Four architects stand out for the number commercial buildings. Maitland returned to best Art Nouveau pub interior (The Bull Inn) collaboration of William Kerr of Houston and quality of buildings they designed Britain to serve as a pilot in the Great War, and and a church (St Matthew’s) which bears between 1890 and 1903, designs flowed for the town between 1880 and 1940. settled in Paisley in 1919. comparison with Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s from the practice for buildings in a variety This architectural trail map is your guide Queen’s Cross church. His five villas in Thornly TG Abercrombie took him on in 1921, of styles, usually carried out with great to these four men and the remarkable Park (1899–1910) are in a free and fantastical immediately recognising his abilities by confidence and panache—Scots Baronial, buildings they created. English Arts and Crafts half-timbered giving him the plum job of designing the Arts and Crafts, and Renaissance, with Art idiom. However, his Crosslee Mill (1916, now Russell Institute. The large public housing Nouveau influences developed into a Free You can read more about the trail and demolished) rationally expressed the building’s estates he laid out for Burgh from Style, drawing on various historical styles. Paisley architecture online at concrete structure, and justifies him calling 1931 are among the best in Scotland. The one, The practice’s most substantial commission www.paisley.is/four-paisley-architects himself an engineer as well as architect. two and three storey blocks freely blend Art was the Royal Alexandra Infirmary (1894–1901). Deco and Scottish Arts and Crafts elements, Some later suburban house commissions and the Beaux Arts layouts of squares, streets were in an English Arts and Crafts idiom. and alleys give each area identity within unified structures. ALBION STREET

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StoryMap via the link at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/THCars2 Paisley Gilmour 2 M 4 St Station GREENL OS 18 CENTRAL ROAD 34 GLASGOW ROAD A761 S 32 10 S T ST 8 R REET SI

EE S LK ST S C L T A T L James Donald Thomas Graham 26 5 MC C A OA K Piazza Y SH AW R ST WN REET K E RE ST ST

THHILL ES E Shopping LA E CR R N I 28 O T R SSFL AT C Abercrombie UZE C R ST E R A Centre GA E E ST E D E 17 SM REET L T ND U ST 1. Liberal Club, High Street/ 19 L WY K L O N

ST I O ST CH L R TREET WE S N S N S T E Churchhill Avenue, 1886 W S HA R E KS I S T OA ON D E 10. Paisley Grammar School, 1 TR REET E 30 ST E MILL

IGH TT T H 29 E R (Altered in 1901 by Peter 16 14 ET Glasgow Road, 1895 3 O

E A A CO R D Caldwell) Greek-Thompson-like B NEW 37 Paisley ST Scots Renaissance style, WE 11 Abbey Close superimposition of arcaded S CY Shopping 36 RIL TO STR EE S T grand but welcoming T T 26 ballroom over heavier first RI RE Centre WELLME ST TREE

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27 GE L University of the 76 High Street, 1896 24 O Road/Greenlaw Drive, 1891 CAUS SE I West of Scotland BRID EDH V IL 9 L R Swaggering Scots Renaissance OR OA D Free perpendicular Gothic CH AR LANE D SE EDH ILL RO AD (copper rocket roof to truncated in polychrome sandstone with ST DY 25 13 22 38 S

Art Nouveau bellcote. LA spire by Page and Park, 1993). EE D 23 GE STREET H GEOR A IL 72 L REET 6 ST 12. Parish Offices, N O 3. Dunn Square, High Street/ RD GO 20–22 Back Sneddon Street/ Rail station St Mirren Street, 1894

Maxwell Street, 1898 C ANAL 7 LO ST REET Public toilets Formal Italianate setting 6 NEND 74 A761 N for statues, complementing Asymmetrical Scots

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the town hall and the Renaissance full of inventive � formal combinations. connecting bridge.

ё TO LO CHW INN Also by this architect: 13. University of the AND OC BR H (7) TO GL ASGO W (7) ѕ IDGE OF West of Scotland, Also by this architect: WE IR (75) IDE S T James Steel Maitland O William Daniel AL 42 George Street, 1898 E C A 4. 20 Smithhills Street S

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R K McLennan E IL (Old Swan Inn), 1897 (Former Technical College) 18. Abbey Mission Halls, F I NE B 27. Russell Institute N 30. 50 High Street, 1934 R ID Competition winning Free EN I Lawn Street, 1892 L L E G S ST Causeyside Street/ E ѕ Renaissance palazzo, with O O Shops, offices and flats with T A 35. 4 Glen Street, 1899 R N 5. 19–21 Moss Street/ New Street, 1923ё B

swept eaves and finials giving R elegant Art Deco corner. D Curious close entry upsets Meeting House Lane, lighter touch. 19. Middle Church Hall, Church Monumental Beaux Arts former 28 symmetry of this quirky 4 storey 1897–99 Hill/School Wynd, 1895 children’s healthcare centre,

31. Kelvin House, Riverside Walk, red sandstone tenement. rich with bronze sculptures 14. YMCA, High Street/ off Forbes Place, 1937 by Archibald Dawson. Stone 6. 67 Causeyside Street New Street, 1908 20. Greenlaw Church, Greenlaw clad reinforced concrete. & 4 Gordon Street, 1901–02 Avenue, 1889 (designed with Strongly symmetrical Art Deco 36. Ralston East UP Church, Beaux Arts with corner dome Marble clad memorial hall and office facade RS Symington) Cyril Street/Violet Street, and giant pilasters flying staircases. 1899–1904 (now offices) 7. 70–76 Causeyside Street Also by this architect: (The Afton Public House), 21. Mrs A Coats Girls Home, Art Nouveau Gothic with steeply 15. Wallneuk Church, North Croft 28. Former Arnotts Department pitched porch roofs flanking 1902 Weighhouse Close Street/Abercorn Street, 1913 Store, Gauze Street, 1924 34 great north window. (off New Street), 1900 32. 26–28 Moss Street, 1921 Perpendicular Gothic, calm and Handsome facade with bronze 8. 33–35 Gauze Street powerful, one of TG’s best works. framed canted windows and the 37. Bull Inn, 7 New Street, (Gabriel’s PH), 1904–05 22. 41–43 Causeyside Street/ 33. 14 St James Street, 1926 architect’s lion head signature. 1900–01 Johnston Street, 1903 16. Upper Rotunda (and Art Restlessly asymmetrical Free 9. 9 Orchard Street 34. Janitor’s Lodge, Galleries 11–V) in Paisley 29. 35 High Street, 1932 Style tenement with witch’s hat Paisley Grammar School, (Mr Bathrooms), 1904–05 23. 45–47 Causeyside Street/ roof. Inside Art Nouveau pub Museum, High Street, 1913. Emphatically horizontal Art Deco Johnston Street, 1903 Glasgow Road/ with cosy snugs. Beaux Arts with sweepings steps office facade above shops. Crossflat Crescent, 1938 inserted between Honeyman’s sculpture and picture galleries, 24. 33 Causeyside Street/ 38. St Matthew’s Church gracefully resolving the awkward Orchard Street, 1905 (Church of the Nazarene), change of direction. Gordon Street, 1905

25. 46–60 George Street, McLennan’s masterwork, 17. Brough Nurses Home, 1906–07 Art Nouveau version of 56 Oakshaw Street, 1897 perpendicular Gothic with stunning interiors. Converted to residential. 26. High Church Hall, 2 19 Oakshaw Street, 1911 36

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