Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Gardner Rowan | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 1846 | Died: | 30 June 1924 | Bio Notes: | William Gardner Rowan was born in Dunbartonshire near Duntocher c.1846, the son of John Rowan, a steam hammersmith at 534 Gallowgate. Although not mentioned in his nomination paper, Alexander McGibbon, his obituarist, recorded that he was initially apprenticed to a civil engineer, presumably from 1860 to 1861, 'a course of instruction he afterwards advocated as a helpful training in accuracy of drawing and scientific building instruction … when text books were few and meagrely illustrated and schools of architecture practically non-existent'. In 1862 he was articled to George Penrose Kennedy for five years, a period which somewhat surprisingly made no allowance for his year or so as a civil engineering apprentice. He remained with him for a further two years as an assistant before returning to civil engineering as assistant first to the railway engineer James Fairie Blair in Westminster and then to Carruthers & Ketley in Glasgow. In 1872 he formed a partnership with John McKissack, in which he appears to have done most of the design work.
Rowan's earliest major works, the Free Church at Pollokshields and St John Wesleyan Church on Sauchiehall Street, were both neo-Greek of the Sellars' school, a choice determined by 'outside influence' in the case of the former, but thereafter his churches were either Gothic or Romanesque. The earliest followed English Early Decorated models, those at Galashiels and Girvan having tall Honeyman-like spires, but from 1885, beginning with his small church at Scone, he paralleled the work of J J Stevenson in reviving late Scots Gothic, sometimes with Norman detail, because, as McGibbon commented presumably quoting Rowan himself, there was a considerable affinity between Scots 15th-century Gothic and 12th-century Norman, a theme that Burnet was also to exploit a few years later. Unique among Rowan's churches was the Wynd Free Church in which he made an altogether exceptional foray into American Romanesque of the H H Richardson School.
Rowan had little taste for the 'shoddy' tenement side of McKissack's practice and early in 1890 the partnership was amicably dissolved. Rowan continued on a sole practitioner basis at 234 West George Street until the First World War. He had very few regular clients and his practice was dependent on success in competitions. Throughout his career he had to contend with ill-health, and probably because of that 'he never attacked big subjects contenting himself with churches and schools principally' most of them medium-sized and less likely to have attracted big-name entrants so that the excellence of his draughtsmanship would stand out and give him a better chance of success. His motto was 'Art for Art's sake': McGibbon gives an interesting insight into his practice and his preference for English late Gothic models, beginning with the excellent college chapel-like Trinity at Pollokshields in 1891. Because of his ill-health 'He did not travel to see architecture, book acquaintance with the masterpieces was all he had … One or two much prized trips he had with congenial brother architects to England, seeing the churches of men he revered - Austin & Paley, Bodley, Gilbert Scott, Bentley, and others'. The 'others' we may be sure included Sedding. 'Illustrations of the works he admired he always had beside him, and over these he pored, deliberating on details, and redrafting his designs with a particularity that often tried both client and tradesman and penalised himself, as when over rough full size details for the measurer's schedule he laboured on the nicities of a variant of the 'Bassae' Ionic and this for work he did not carry out…a good deal of the interest that attaches to his work was the outcome of this devotion to his art. For a bit of carving, precious because of the compelling economy elsewhere, he would cheerfully give time and trouble, while ordinary painter work became decoration by his labouring over quaint lettering or ornamental device that cost little but effected much'.
Rowan was never attracted to 'professional public interests' and did not seek admission to the RIBA as fellow until 1906. For reasons that have yet to be established his acceptance was delayed until 2 March 1908, but his proposers - John Keppie, William Leiper and John James Burnet - were a measure of the esteem in which he was held.
McGibbon described Rowan as 'a cheery and likeable companion, the most vivacious of conversationalists, alert in mind over most questions of the day to the last'. In appearance he was of slight build and bearded. His only recreation was fishing. He married Elizabeth _____ and they had had five children by the time of the 1891 census: Lizzie (born c. 1883), Jennie (or Jenny) G (born c. 1884), George N (born c. 1886), John R N (born c. 1887) and Isabella A (born c. 1890). While Rowan was in practice the family lived at 48 Herriet Street, Pollokshields, but on his retirement they moved to Kittochsyde, Auldhouse Road, East Kilbride, where he died on 30 June 1924 leaving moveable estate of £6,310 8s 7d. As he himself observed, his long years of practice had brought him 'neither poverty nor riches'. He was survived by his daughters Lizzie, Jenny and Isabella. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 175 (or 176), St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1875 | After 1880 | |  | 15, Leven Street, Pollokshields, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1888 | | |  | 234, West George Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | c. 1888 | After 1909 | |  | 48, Herriet Street, Pollokshields, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1891 | c. 1914 | |  | 237, West George Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1914 | After 1925 | |  | Kittochsyde, Auldhouse Road, East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Private | c. 1914 | 30 June 1924 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or Pupils
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | (Sir) John James Burnet | 2 March 1908 | for Fellowship |  | John Keppie | 2 March 1908 | for Fellowship |  | William Leiper | 2 March 1908 | for Fellowship |
RIBA Proposals
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 | |  | After 1872 | East Free Church | Blantyre | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | After 1872 | Keppochhill Free Church | Keppochhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1872 | King Street Mission Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1872 | Rose Street UF Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 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 | 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 | |  | 1887 | St Martin's Episcopal Church | Polmadie | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1887 | Tenements, Duke Street and East Miller Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1888 | Wynd Church Manse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1889 | Wynd Church, Dr Still Medical Mission | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | c. 1890 | Mission Church for the Established Church, Grangepans | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1891 | Trinity UP Church | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1892 or 1893(?) | Belmont Parish Church | Hillhead | | Glasgow | Scotland | Competition design - not successful |  | 1893 | Cathcart UP Church | Cathcart | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1893 | Clydebank Union Church | Clydebank | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | Third premiated competition design (£10) |  | 1894 | Juniper Green Church | Juniper Green | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Unsuccessful competition design |  | 1894 | St Andrews Free Church and hall | Ayr | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Competition design - not successful |  | 1895 | Five tenements, Anderson Street and King Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1895 | Mission Hall | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1895 | Scone UP Church | New Scone | | Perthshire | Scotland | Buttresses added |  | 1895 | Somerville Memorial Free Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1897 | Thornliebank Public School | Thornliebank | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Design only - Clifford secured job |  | 1898 | Greenbank Manse | Clarkston/Busby | | Glasgow/Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1898 | Terrace of houses | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1899(?) | Caer-Edin | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Attribution in McWilliam (1978) |  | 1899 | Cottage | Shettleston | | Glasgow | Scotland | Design exhibited |  | 1899 | Cunninghame Free Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Competition design exhibited - H & D Barclay won competition and secured job |  | 1900 | St Margaret's Church | Tollcross | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | c. 1900 | Busby School | Busby | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | c. 1900 | Eastwood Public School | Thornliebank (near) | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1901 | Villa, Maxwell Drive | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1902 | Blantyre Parish Church | Blantyre | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Renovation |  | 1902 | Eastbank Church of Scotland | Shettleston | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1903 | Schiller's Lunch Rooms | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1908 | Tennant Mansion, 195 West George Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Proposed alterations and addtions |  | 1909 | Beuvne House | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions |  | 1911 | Barrhead School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Addition |  | 1912 | Pollokshields Established Church | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | Communion table |  | 1913 | Barnbeth House | Bridge of Weir | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1915 | Easterhill | Bridge of Weir | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Extension to rear |  | Before 1924 | Kingston Mission | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Addition? |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Post Office Directories | | | | | |  | Walker, Frank Arneil | 1986 | South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew | | | p85, p136 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Builder | 18 July 1924 | | | Obituary |  | Builders Journal | 1 April 1963 | | | Men who build series |  | RIAS Quarterly | 1924 | 11 | Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) | 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 | | Personal information from Alfred G Lochhead and Alexander Wright; family research by Iain Paterson |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | F v19 p104 no1404 (microfilm reel 12) |
Images © All rights reserved. Quiz 14 September 1893. Series of Glasgow Architects, no14 (Courtesy of Iain Paterson) |