The Buildings of the Hutchesons' Schools
The original Hospital was erected in the Trongate at the centre of the city between1641 and 1649..It was built on an architectural principle new to Scotland, of a courtyard enclosed on four sides. Only the front and one wing were ever fully completed
The School was originally in the"basement" (the ground floor) of the wing to the right, overlooking the courtyard. Although there were Hutchesons'-funded pupils in city schools from 1643, the building was not used as a school until the appointment of the first teacher, in 1648.
In 1805, the Ingram St. Hospital opened as a memorial to the Founders, with the School on the first floor until over-crowding necessitated a move to a new, "mean-looking" building next door, originally meant for the Master.
The Crown Street building in the Gorbals was home to the Boys' School from 1841 to 1960 The architect had also designed the new Hospital, He liked the Gorbals for the "quietness of the situation, good air, roomy and open site, with good access from all directions." Finished in two years, the building was favourably received:.
In 1876, Crown Street was rebuilt. The wings were made into rooms, with a two-floor residence for the Rector, a gymnasium, new building to the rear, and "a spacious hall for collective gatherings." Memorial windows for George and Thomas were installed, and would be re-installed nearly a century later in the new Crossmyloof building.
Elgin Street was home to the first Girls' School, from 1876. Formerly the Gorbals' Youth School, it was renovated to allow teaching in cookery and domestic economy. By 1897 it had to be rebuilt to keep up wiith rising national standards, but deteriorated further until either closure or a new school became inevitable
Kingarth Strreet opened iin 1912, Built around an assembly hall large enough to contain all, it was very modern, also with corridors, science, art and music rooms. There was a separate "Domestic Economy block" which as well as laundry and cooking rooms, a dining room and a gymnasium, contained rooms "furnished as parlour, bedroom and kitchen, to be used in the teaching of Housewifery". It was also "lighted throughout with electricity", said the Opening Day programme proudly, an advantage Crown Street would not share until 1927. Even if Kingarth Street's walls and Hall remained unpainted for the next 13 years, it was recognised as a fine building from the start and became a listed building in 1992.
After half a century of agitation, in 1960 a new Boys' School was finally constructed on a site at Crossmyloof chosen in 1938. Planned on modern principles and highly regarded at the time, the Hall once seen as central to a school building, as in Kingarth Street, was moved to a wing, The site represented a desire to unite the educatioanl needs of the day with the "intangible spirit" of the school. Built around a central paved quadrangle containing a pool, cloisters as a reminder of the past ran down one side, one intention being to reduce corridor space.
Crossmyloof at the turn of the century, showing the new P.E Block and new Science Block which kept the School at the forefront of educational architecture and helped equip it properly for the new century.
The cost of building the original Crossmyloof School - under half-a-million........