A miniature Baronial keep shelters an Arts and Crafts hall first created for working women and later adapted by a Masonic lodge.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1888
- Architect / designer
- John Archibald Campbell; painted panels by Harrington Mann
- Type
- Scots Baronial and Arts and Crafts institutional hall
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB1135)
- OS grid reference
- NS 38829 80135
Architecture and continuing use
Bull-faced pink sandstone and red ashlar dressings form a keep, round tower, bartizans and courtyard range. Inside, a hammerbeam roof, large fireplaces and Harrington Mann’s painted panels give the hall exceptional richness.
Its story
John Archibald Campbell designed the building in 1888 as the Ewing Gilmour Institute for Working Girls. It later became the home of Lodge Bonhill and Alexandria No. 321, preserving a purpose-built social interior through a change of institution.
Why it is included
Category A listing recognises outstanding Baronial and Arts and Crafts design, a rare social history and an interior associated with Glasgow Boy Harrington Mann.
What to notice
- The square keep and corbelled round tower.
- Terracotta panels and red-stone dressings against pink masonry.
- The 1888 date and formal entrance approached by steps.
Reading the surroundings
Do not assume general entry. Attend only an advertised open day or event, or arrange access with the lodge; respect meetings, private rooms and photography restrictions.
Timeline
- 1888 Campbell completed the institute for working girls.
- Late 1800s Harrington Mann supplied painted panels for the principal interiors.
- 20th century The building became a Masonic temple.
- 2026 Lodge 321 continues to advertise regular meetings and events.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The lodge is active, but interior access is event-dependent and the surviving extent of individual painted panels was not re-surveyed for this record.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Masonic Temple, Gilmour Street, LB1135 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: LB1135 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
- Lodge Bonhill and Alexandria No. 321 — Current lodge identity and advertised meeting pattern.
- Doors Open Days: Masonic Lodge Bonhill and Alexandria — Managed public-access context and building identity.
Location
OS grid reference NS 38829 80135 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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