PAISLEY TOWN HALL

Victorian Paisley showed much more civic pride than Glasgow. It had to, to keep Glasgow in line! Paisley was the first to construct a town hall, hiring an Irish architect for the design, while Glasgow later chose an architect from Paisley for theirs. Before the grand town hall opened in 1882, Paisley didn't have a large enough venue for the community. In 1864, there was a plan for a big hall funded by public donations, but it failed because the city was still in debt. In 1869, another plan to build a hall on Moss Street, near County Square, was abandoned to buy Saucel Hill for a public park. The city couldn't handle two big expenses in one year! In 1871, a location for a town hall was selected in front of the museum, but again, the budget was insufficient, and the project was dropped. Things changed the following year when James Clark, full of energy, proposed the town hall idea to the public. Donations started coming in quickly. Clark was so dedicated and convincing that money flowed in week after week. On March 8 of that year, the total funds reached £13,870. In 1873, Paisley got a boost when George Aitken Clark, a wealthy thread manufacturer, died. In his will, he left £20,000 for building a town hall in his birthplace, Newton, Paisley. He also wanted a large reading room for workers, where they could relax and smoke, open from 5 AM to midnight. The money from subscriptions was returned after the Clark family agreed to pay for the entire project. A plot of land next to the Abbey was bought, and a contest was held for the best design. In 1874, fifty-four designs were submitted. A local architecture firm, Rennison&Scott, won the competition, but their designs were not suitable for the project. In the end, architect W.H. Lynn from Belfast was selected, even though his proposal was more expensive. After talking with the Clark family, the architect learned that "costs were not seen as a barrier." Construction started in 1878. To reduce noise and dust in the city center, stone was cut at the Gilmour Street freight yard after being delivered by train. Over a hundred masons worked there nonstop. The first stone was laid in October 1879 by Mrs. Clark, the donor's mother. Because of her age and desire to avoid the crowd, only a small group of eighty-two people attended the ceremony. Mrs. Clark performed the ceremony from her carriage, which was brought up a specially built slope to the first stone. Provost Mackean, who led the ceremony, thanked Mrs. Clark for her "royal donation" and expressed hope that "the name of the Clarks would always be remembered among us and that their business ventures would be so successful that they would be both a reward for themselves and a blessing for our community." On January 30, 1882, the official opening ceremony occurred. The provost proudly donned his new chain of office for the first time. A procession that was one and a half kilometers long moved through the decorated city streets. About 12,000 people, holding banners, marched to the sound of music. Many traveled from distant places like Shotts, Coatbridge, and Glasgow to participate! The homes along the route were decorated with evergreens, flags, and symbols. From the windows, flags reading "Clark Hall" waved enthusiastically as the lengthy parade went by.