Do good while the holly is green. That is the Maxwell family motto. It is carved on the wall of Pollokshields Burgh Hall.
Pollokshields Burgh Hall stands proudly at the edge of Maxwell Park in Glasgow. It was once the headquarters of Pollokshields Burgh Council. Today it is a Category A listed building.
Let’s step back in time. Imagine Sir John Stirling Maxwell. He was a politician. He gifted this hall to the people of Pollokshields. The site on Glencairn Drive was part of the Old Pollok Estate. The Maxwell family had called it home for over 700 years.
Harry Edward Clifford designed Pollokshields Burgh Hall in the Scottish Baronial style. Dark red sandstone from the Ballochmyle Estate was used. Maxwell laid a memorial stone on 25 October 1890. This commemorated the hall’s opening. It also celebrated the opening of Maxwell Park. He also gifted this to the local people.
Notice the asymmetrical main frontage facing Glencairn Drive. The main hall projects forward on the left. The right bay features a gabled porch. Look up. There is a tower above. See the bartizan on the left-hand corner of the tower.
Pollokshields Burgh Hall initially served as a masonic meeting place. Lodge No. 772 met here. It briefly housed the headquarters of Pollokshields Burgh. This was until 1891. Then the burgh joined the city of Glasgow. The hall was extended in 1935.
The building became a day center. First for Glasgow Corporation then for Strathclyde Regional Council. In 1982 it was deemed surplus. The Pollokshields Burgh Hall Trust acquired it in 1986. After refurbishment it reopened for community use in 1997. The lower ground floor was refurbished. It was converted for conference use. The National Heritage Memorial Fund provided financial support.
Keira Knightley attended her brother’s wedding at Pollokshields Burgh Hall in April 2011.
The dominant external feature is the 60-foot tower. The entrance porch displays the Maxwell family coat of arms. It is flanked by two Scottish lions.
The A listed halls display 17th-century towers and wings. They are made of dark red sandstone. This contrasts with the blond sandstone of many surrounding villas. An adjoining Jacobean lodge was refurbished in 1996. A gate leads to the Maxwell Park drive. The Maxwell coat of arms appears on the entrance archway. It is also set in marble on the floor of the building entrance. You can see Maxwell’s motto carved on the wall outside. It is also in the large east window.
Stained glass windows were gifted by Pollokshields residents. There is a Venetian window. A 1935 west window bears the emblem of the Corporation of Glasgow. The building also displays 17th-century-style Masonic stained glass. The Pollokshields Burgh Hall Trust maintains the building.
Since its construction the building has been a masonic lodge. The arch built into the back wall displays carved Masonic emblems. It also shows the Masonic symbol. The Memorial Window in the main hall depicts the glory of the afterlife. The two pillars on the side panels represent the entrance to the Sanctum. The inscription on the centre panel reads: “To the memory of departed brethren.”
The Minor Hall features a window dedicated to Saint John. He is the Patron Saint of Freemasonry. The motto is “Gloria in Excelsis”. Morris Carswell First Master of Lodge Pollok presented it. Another window is dedicated to St Andrew. He is the Patron Saint of Scotland. The motto is “Virtute in Silentio”. David R Clark a freemason also presented this window. Both windows display masonic emblems. They were gifted in 1890.
Pollokshields Burgh Hall stands as a testament to community spirit and architectural heritage. Its stones whisper tales of philanthropy. They also echo with the laughter of celebrations. As you leave take a moment to appreciate its enduring legacy.