Old Photograph Town Hall Penicuik Scotland

Old photograph of the Town Hall in Penicuik, Scotland. The founder of the papermakers Alexander Cowan & Sons was a nationally important social reformer and philanthropist. He helped create a public library in Penicuik in 1799, built a school and social housing for his workers, created a scheme for sickness pay and pensions for both male and female workers before 1848 and piped a clean public water supply from the Pentland Hills into the centre of Penicuik. In 1894, part of his bequest was used to build The Cowan Institute, as it was called then, which included a large public hall with a gallery, a library with many thousands of books, billiard tables and a fitted gymnasium, even public baths, all endowed for the good of the people of Penicuik. Its architect was the husband of Alexander Cowan's grand daughter, Cambell Douglas who, for half a century, led one of the most influential architectural teaching practices in the country and went on to spread the influence of the Scottish Baronial style to France and Japan. The Cowan Institute's splendid projecting clock was added in 1901 - Alexander Cowan's family having lived at Moray House in Edinburgh's Canongate looked out at the Tolbooth clock. For the next 60 years, the Institute was locally managed under the supervision of trustees. Then in March 1960, Penicuik Burgh Councill formally accepted the gift of the Cowan Institute building and the funds of the Cowan Trust, as a civic cintre for the people of Penicuik undertaking to provide for its future as recreational and hall facilities in the spirit of the trust. For 12 years, the Cowan Institute became Penicuik Town Hall, with the Library and billiard room converted for council administration. A new floor of specially imported Canadian rockwood maple split the Great Hall in two and created one of the finest sprung dancing floors in the country. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to travel and visit one day.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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