Sir John Stirling Maxwell Primary School - Eastwood School Board:
Attributed to architect John H. Hamilton (1851-1935) this large three storey school was built from 1906-07. A large red sandstone building with classical stylings the school replaced its predecessor (built 1854) on a site donated ny the local landowner; Sir John Stirling Maxwell. The building is sited beside the scots baronial styled Burgh Hall of Pollokshaws, a blond sandstone building of a similar era, but of very different styling. The vivid variety between the buildings in colour, tone and design was according to the Glasgow Story website the cause of much consternation to some at the time. The building was officially opened by the land benefactor Maxwell in 1909 and continued in this role as an educational establishment until its eventual closure in June 2011.closure in The school is one of a great many of these Victorian era large red and blond sandstone schools. Often epic in scale and in the memories of many of the city's inhabitants having been in use for so long, sadly a new use is yet to be found for many of these now empty buildings. Whilst some have been converted, others demolished and others still continue to be used as schools, this fine example in the city's southside sits boarded up. Currently there are no known schemes either for the buildings re-use or disposal. Outwardly it appears in fair to good condition with no signs of major damage or loss of wind or watertightness. Without the benefit of occupation though the building is beginning gently to travel the journey from vacant to dereliction as the inevitable process of decay takes place, at this stage this is largely confined to the early stages of vegetation outbreaks, moss and algae growth and failure of rainwater goods leading to occassional patches of saturation of the exterior sandstone.

references: http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk & http://www.theglasgowstory.com

street address: Bengal Street / Christian Street, Pollokshaws, Glasgow, G43 1RH
Latitude / Longitude: 55.856333,-4.256686 (sourced using Google Maps)
site visit date: 22 January 2012



south elevation school name carved elegantly form the red snadstone of the elevations (22/01/2012)


south elevation (22/01/2012)


boys gateway on the south of the site. Like all schools of this era there were seperate marked gates for girls, boys and where applicable, infants (22/01/2012)


the three storeys of the central projecting part of the symmetrical south elevation, note the rusticated ground floor stones (22/01/2012)


constructed 1906-07, here the building date is carved in overlapping letters on the south elevation (22/01/2012)


stylised corinthian capital atop a round pillar tight against the second floor central portion of the south elevation (22/01/2012)


built under the auspices of the Eastwood parish school board (22/01/2012)


at the east and west ends of the symmetrical south elevation at the top of the building are broken segmental pediments with open bases. Between the corbels to either side which stretch from the pilasters to the open base of the pediment a shield like form bursts across the tympanum. This playful classicism is mannerist in nature. (22/01/2012)


south-east top corner (22/01/2012)


south-east corner of the building with the Scots baronial Pollokshaws Burgh hall in the background with its turretted squat square plan clock tower(22/01/2012)


east elevation (22/01/2012)


open segmental pediment over the east entrance for girls as demarked by the ornate carving and lettering within the tympanum of the pediment (22/01/2012)


girls entrance carved tympanum, with the carved details dropping below the base line of the pediment in an unorthodox style. The lintel ove rht edoorway is cracked and stones of the segmental arch can be seen to be misaligned (22/01/2012)


in contrast to the classical and mannerist stylings of the main school elevations, the soaring tall east chimney has vertical lines emphasising its vertical thrust and giving the chimney a modern look beside the historic influence of its footings(22/01/2012)


looking southwards back down the east elevation (22/01/2012)


crowning the centre of the south elevation slate covered roof is a small copper clad turret. The cladding can be seen peeled back and damaged revealing the timber structure beneath(22/01/2012)


further northwards along the east side boundary is another set of gates, this time the stone carved word infants denotes its original use (22/01/2012)


in the rear north-east corner of the site is a small single storey open brick shleter, with glazed special bricks on the interior walls (22/01/2012)


north-west corner of the building. Note numerous areas of saturated stone walling, most probably the result of failed rainwater goods leading to water running down the walls and over the absorbant sandstone(22/01/2012)


centre of the north elevation. Through the upper storey windows can be seen the rooflights which flooded the interior space with light (22/01/2012)


on the north-east corner is a small octagonal tower, most probably the boiler house chimney. Metal strappings can be seen binding the tower as it projects above the roofline. (22/01/2012)


cast iron rainwater goods, a round arched window, a traditional rectangular timber case and sash window, saturated stonework at the downpipe on the left of the photograph and rooflights on the slate covered roof can all be seen on this upper portion of the west elevation (22/01/2012)






back to top



derelict
----------------------------------
derelict homepage
----------------------------------
acre house
----------------------------------
bbc (north park house)
----------------------------------
botanics garage
----------------------------------
burnt new build offices
----------------------------------
bushes bar
----------------------------------
canal - lock keeper's house
----------------------------------
clyde place - barretts
----------------------------------
co-operative building
----------------------------------
custom house
----------------------------------
elder park
----------------------------------
govanhill picture house
----------------------------------
graphical house
----------------------------------
howden engineering office
----------------------------------
kelvingrove bandstand
----------------------------------
leyland motor co. building
----------------------------------
lyceum cinema
----------------------------------
lynedoch st offices
----------------------------------
mcdonalds drive thru
----------------------------------
old court hall
----------------------------------
18 park terrace
----------------------------------
phone exchange, centre st
----------------------------------
pigeon warehouse
----------------------------------
possil school gymnasium
----------------------------------
possil railway station
----------------------------------
st columba's, clydebank
----------------------------------
st margaret's presbytery
----------------------------------
schoolhouse, st james rd
----------------------------------
scotway house
----------------------------------
shettleston hall
----------------------------------
shiels house
----------------------------------
sir john maxwell school
----------------------------------
temple police station
----------------------------------
temple sawmills office
----------------------------------
white house inn
----------------------------------
whiteinch burgh hall
----------------------------------
whitevale baths
----------------------------------
yoker public house
----------------------------------

----------------------------------

----------------------------------
website homepage
----------------------------------

----------------------------------

----------------------------------

----------------------------------

view from the south-west looking across the open playing fields area towards the now empty and decaying three storey school building (22/01/2012)
all images and content copyright © 2012- architectureglasgow.co.uk
please do not use without permission: contact@architectureglasgow.co.uk

disclaimer & copyright information


- home - building index - about - web links - contact -

www.architectureglasgow.co.uk www.derelictglasgow.co.uk