Basic Site Details

Name: City of Glasgow District Asylum for Pauper Lunatics
Town, district or village: Gartcosh
City or county: Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: Information from Managers Minutes per Suzanne Mireylees.

The new Gartloch Lunatic Asylum and Hospital, which has been completed by the Glasgow and Distruct Lunacy Board, has just been opened for patients. The asylum and hospital are situated on the old Gartloch Estate, lying about seven miles east of Glasgow. The buildings consist of two parts, asylum and hospital, with workshops, laundry, electric lighting plant etc. The asylum comprises four blocks, the male and female patients’ accommodation being separate, and each block is connected to the administrative department by covered ways. In the central portion are a dining hall, kitchen, sculleries and general stores, and over the dining hall is placed a recreation hall. The official block is situated to the north, and is flanked by two toweres, each rising to a height of 130 feet. Here are the Board Room, doctor’s room, waiting rooms etc on the ground floor; and on the upper stories, sleeping accommodation for the staff. Each block is divided into two wards with dormitories above, and is equipped with boot rooms, lavatory accommodation, and large bathrooms entered from the corridors. Like the asylum, the hospital consists of two main parts, one for male and the other for female patients. These are of similar construction and arrangement, and in each are placed observation wards for newly-admitted patients, wards for physically ailing inmates, for those requiring special nursing by reason of old age and infirmity, and for those suffering from infectious diseases. It is entirely separate from the asylum and has its own kitchen, dining hall, doctor’s room, nurses apartments, etc. The asylum has accommodation for 380 patients and the hospital for about *. But meantime only part of the buildings are in occupation. Special water reservoirs have been constructed and the electric light has been installed. The architects were Messrs Thomson and Sandilands of Glasgow. The total cost of the work will, it is estimated, be about £200,000. [Builder 26 June 1897 p575]

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 2Gartloch HospitalYes 
Item 2 of 2Gartloch Lunatic Asylum Alternative original title

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 2Hospital  
Item 2 of 2Asylum  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 111889 Competition held 
Item 2 of 111 November 1889  Competition won
Item 3 of 1118911897ConstructionMain building and wards, west lodge
Item 4 of 111894 ConstructionDoctor's house; superintendent's house and mortuary
Item 5 of 1118941895ConstructionFarm steading
Item 6 of 1118961897ConstructionHospital
Item 7 of 111897 ConstructionFarm cottages
Item 8 of 1118981902ConstructionNurses' home
Item 9 of 1118991900ConstructionHall
Item 10 of 111902  Farm Colony Pavilion
Item 11 of 11c. 1975 Alterations and additionsUpgrading and modernisation.

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 14Henry Edward Clifford  1889 Third premiated competition design (£50 premium)
Item 2 of 14John Thomson A18891902Won competition and secured job
Item 3 of 14Robert Douglas Sandilands A18891902Won competition and secured job
Item 4 of 14Thomson & Sandilands A18891902Won competition and secured job
Item 5 of 14David Barclay B1889 Second premiated competition design (£100 premium)
Item 6 of 14H & D Barclay B1889 Second premiated competition design (£100 premium)
Item 7 of 14Hugh Barclay B1889 Second premiated competition design (£100 premium)
Item 8 of 14William Mitchell A1890c. 1897As apprentice/assistant to Thomson & Sandilands
Item 9 of 14James Christie A18931899As apprentice to Thomson & Sandilands
Item 10 of 14Alexander Skirving C1902 Farm Colony Pavilion
Item 11 of 14Archibald Crawford Dc. 1975 Upgrading and modernisation.
Item 12 of 14John Crowe McBride Dc. 1975 Upgrading and modernisation.
Item 13 of 14Watson, Salmond & Gray Dc. 1975 Upgrading and modernisation.
Item 14 of 14William MacDonald Dc. 1975 Upgrading and modernisation.

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 2City of Glasgow Lunacy Board 
Item 2 of 2Glasgow Parish CouncilClient for Skirving work

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Child Structures

This structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details):
 Building NameNotes
Item 1 of 1Gartloch Hospital, new nurses' homeSituated on western edge of Gartloch Hospital site.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Darragh, Alison2011Prison or Palace? Heaven or Hell? An architectural and social study of the development of public lunatic asylums in Scot Unpublished PhD thesis, University of St Andrewsvol 2, pp 258-64, 281 (cottages), 284 (farm colony), 287 (superintendent's house)
vol 3, pp 79-82 (photo showing towers complete)
Item 2 of 6Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts1890   993
Item 3 of 6Harper, Roger H1983Victorian Architectural Competitions: An Index to British and Irish Architectural Competitions… London: Mansell Publishing 
Item 4 of 6RIBA1975RIBA Directory of practices   
Item 5 of 6Richardson, HarrietN.D.Scottish Hospitals Survey Unpublished typescript (copy in DMW Archive)Listed as Gartloch Hospital
Item 6 of 6Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts1897   328 (Thomson & Sandilands)

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Builder16 November 1889LVII p356
Item 2 of 4Builder26 June 1897  p575 - opening
Item 3 of 4Builder17 September 1898LXXV p255 - nurses' home
Item 4 of 4Building News15 November 1889  p682 - H & D Barclay work

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 8Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell LibraryMinutes of the Managers of Gartloch Asylum  
Item 2 of 8Greater Glasgow Health Board ArchivesGreater Glasgow Health Board Archives Annual Reports HB 1/6
Item 3 of 8Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register33868Main buildings - asylum section, hospital section and nurses' home
Item 4 of 8Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register33869Superintendent's house
Item 5 of 8Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register33870Mortuary
Item 6 of 8Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register33871West Lodge
Item 7 of 8Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register33873Gartloch Cottages
Item 8 of 8RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers James Christie: L v16 no1180; William Mitchell: L v25 no2034; Robert Douglas Sandilands: F v17 p51 no1122 (microfilm reel 12); Alexander Skirving: F v17 p53 no1123 (microfilm reel 12); John Thomson: F v17 p55 no1124 (microfilm reel 12)