Lilybank House, 40 Bute Gardens, Glasgow

Lilybank House was built in the 1830s for Glasgow merchant, Robert Allan. It was later home to John Blackie, of the publishing house, Blackie & Son, under whose ownership the house was extended by Alexander "Greek" Thomson in the 1860s, with further additions made in the 1890s by John Honeyman & Keppie. The building is part of the Thomson Heritage Trail, and since 2005 has housed the School of Economic & Social History, the Centre for the History of Medicine and the Centre for Business History.

Originally a small Georgian villa with a large walled garden and greenhouses, John Blackie, purchased the house in 1864, when he had architect Alexander "Greek" Thomson add a new wing onto the south end of the villa, and relocated the entrance.

It was converted in 1894 to a Hall of Residence for women attending Queen Margaret College, known as Queen Margaret Hall, with accommodation for 25 students. The architects Honeyman and Keppie altered the interior and added a first floor to the stable wing of Lilybank House in 1894-9 and again 1900.

The University took over the Hall in 1923 and Lilybank House ceased to be a Hall of Residence in 1966. Plans were again drawn up this year for alterations to the House, which on 15 Dec 1970, was listed as a Category A Building under Historic Scotland.

A refurbishment of Lilybank House completed in 2005 by Clark Contracts under architect NSSR McLean uncovered original stenciling and a mural frieze by Alexander "Greek" Thomson, and conservation work was carried out to preserve these original details. {University of Glasgow]

Alexander Greek ThomsonFlickrGlasgowGlasgow UniversityLilybank Houseflickr 2017