Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | John McKissack | Designation: | Architect | Born: | c. 1844 | Died: | 27 August 1915 | Bio Notes: | John McKissack was born c.1844, the son of James McKissack, mechanical engineer and Janet McGhie from Girvan. He was educated at St Enoch's School but no further details are known of his training.
In 1872 McKissack formed a partnership with William Gardner Rowan who was two years his junior and had trained as both architect and civil engineer with George Penrose Kennedy and James Fairie Blair. Two years later, on 9 July 1874 at 158 Hospital Street, Gorbals, McKissack married Helen Ronald, daughter of Alexander Ronald, master baker and Marion Black. Rowan was a witness at the wedding. They had five children: two sons James (born 1875) and Alex (born c.1877) were born in Glasgow, and a further son John (born c.1880) and two daughters Helen (born c.1883) and Mary (born c.1886) were born in Govan.
After the formation of the partnership, Rowan did most of the design work. In 1889 McKissack took his son James into the McKissack & Rowan practice as an apprentice.
Rowan had little taste for the 'shoddy' tenement side of McKissack's practice and early in 1890 the partnership was amicably dissolved. McKissack continued practice, taking his son into partnership in 1900 as John McKissack & Son.
The elder McKissack never sought admission to the RIBA. About 1912 he had a major operation and withdrew from the practice. He died on 27 August 1915 at 9 St Andrews Drive, Pollokshields leaving moveable estate of £813 15s. He was survived by his second wife Jessie Ferguson Tyre, daughter of the landscape painter John Tyre, whom he had married on 22 June 1894 at 4 Florence Place, and all five of his children. His son James continued the practice under the same name thereafter, specialising almost exclusively in cinema work. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 118, Ardgowan Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1874 | | |  | 175 (or 176), St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1875 | After 1880 | |  | Govan, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1881 | After 1886 | |  | 70, Forth Street, Pollokshields, Gkasgow, Scotland | Private | 1888 | | |  | 234, West George Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1888 * | 1889 | |  | 79, South Portland Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1891 | | |  | 68, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1893 | 1915 | |  | 344, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1894 | | |  | 65, Renfield Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business(?) | Before 1923 | 1912 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes |  | McKissack & Rowan | 1872 | Early 1890 | Partner | |  | John McKissack & Son | 1900 | c. 1912 | Partner | |
Employees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes |  | James McKissack | Early 1890 | c. 1894 | Apprentice | |  | William Cowie | c. 1893 | c. 1893 | | |  | James McKissack | c. 1894 | 1900 | Assistant | |
Buildings and DesignsThis architect was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes |  | After 1872 | Brockley Presbyterian Church | Lewisham | | London | England | |  | 1874 | Paisley Road Free Church | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1874 | Tenements, Douglas Street and Walker Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1874 | Whiteinch Free Church | Whiteinch | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1878 | Bridgeton Free Church | Bridgeton | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1878 | Pollokshields Free Church | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1878 | Tenement, East Clyde Street | Helensburgh | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |  | 1879 | Church at Fairlie | Fairlie | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |  | 1880 | Livingstone Memorial Church | Blantyre | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | c. 1880(?) | Tenements, Findlay Street | Dennistoun | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1881 | Business Premises, 252-256 Paisley Road West and 2-6 Harvie Street | Plantation | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1881 | Tenements, Herriet Street | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1882 | Finnart UP Church | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Won competition to secure job |  | 1882 | Girvan Parish Church | Girvan | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |  | 1882 | Mure Memorial Church | Baillieston | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1882 | Renfrew Free Church | Renfrew | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1882 | St John's Wesleyan Methodist Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Won competition to secure job |  | 1882 | Zetland Free Church | Grangemouth | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | |  | 1883 | Bo'ness UP Church and hall | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1883 | Greenbank Church and hall | Clarkston/Busby | | Glasgow/Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1883 | Independent Church | Girvan | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |  | 1884 | Ladhope Free Church | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | |  | 1885 | Bo'ness Liberal Club | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1885 | Dunoon District Cottage Hospital | Dunoon | | Argyll | Scotland | |  | 1885 | Scone UP Church | New Scone | | Perthshire | Scotland | |  | 1885 | Tarbert Parish Church | Tarbert | | Argyll | Scotland | |  | c. 1885 | Cambuslang West Parish Church | Cambuslang | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1886 | Queen's Park Baptist Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1886 | Strathbungo Parish Church | Strathbungo | | Glasgow | Scotland | Demolished and rebuilt |  | 1886 | Victoria Bread and Biscuit Works | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Original building |  | 1887 | McKechnie Institute | Girvan | | Ayrshire | Scotland | 'Buildings of Scotland' state this is by McKissack. |  | 1887 | St Martin's Episcopal Church | Polmadie | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1887 | Tenements, Duke Street and East Miller Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1888 | Greenhead Sawmills | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Complete rebuilding |  | 1888 | Wireworks for W Riddell & Co | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1888 | Wynd Church Manse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1889 | Boden Street Factory | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Addition |  | 1889 | Wynd Church, Dr Still Medical Mission | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1889 | Established church | Bridgeton | | Glasgow | Scotland | With James as assistant |  | 1893 | Two warehouses, King Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1894 | Eastbank Academy | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1898 | City Improvement Trust warehouse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Won competition (£100 premium) and secured job |  | 1898 | Workshop for Neilson, Davie & Co | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | c. 1898 | Dunoon Sheriff Court and County Buildings | Dunoon | | Argyll | Scotland | Won competition and secured job |  | 1899 | Redhurst | Dunoon | | Argyll | Scotland | |  | 1900 | Muslin Factory | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1900 | Restaurant and tea rooms | Largs | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |  | After 1900 | Clydebank West UF Church | Clydebank | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |  | After 1900 | Shop, Kilmarnock Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1900 | Warehouse and offices | Bridgeton | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | c. 1900 | London Road UF Church hall | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1902 | City Improvement Trust warehouse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1903 | Langavat | Kilmacolm/Kilmalcolm | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1903 | Strathclyde Public School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1904 | 4th VBSR Headquarters | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1905(?) | Eastern Co-operative Drapery Building | Parkhead | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1906 | Boden Street Factory | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Addition |  | 1907 | Boden Street Factory | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Block on the corner of Nuneaton Street |  | 1908 | Dunoon District Cottage Hospital | Dunoon | | Argyll | Scotland | New hospital |  | 1908 | Sawmill for A Bowie & Co | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1909 | Parkhead Congregtional Church Halls | Tollcross | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | c. 1912 | Electricity Substation | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1914 | SCWS buildings | Shettleston | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1914 | SCWS buildings | Barrhead | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1914 | Wellshot Road School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Additional block on Altyre Street |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | |  | Peter, Bruce | 1999 | Scotland's Splendid Theatres: Architecture and Social History from the Reformation to the Present Day | | Edinburgh: Polygon (an imprint of Edinburgh University Press Ltd) | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Builder | 3 September 1915 | v108 | | p174 - obituary |  | Building Industries | 16 September 1915 | | | Obituary with portrait |  | Glasgow Herald | 30 August 1915 | | | Obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Research by Iain Paterson |
Images © All rights reserved. Building Industries 16 September 1915 p89 (Who's who)(Courtesy of Iain Paterson) |