Standing opposite Glasgow Cathedral, Provand's Lordship is the oldest surviving house in Glasgow. It was built in 1471 in the reign of King James III, by Bishop Andrew Muirhead as the Preceptor's House of the Hospital of St Nicholas. His coat of arms can be seen on the southern wall of the house. Later, in the 19th century, it became the manse of the Prebendary of Balernock. He was also the Lord of Provand (now Provan, a district of Glasgow), hence the name "Provand's Lordship" which dates from that time.
The original 15th century, three storey building was added to at the rear in the 17th century by its then occupant, a tailor. Various businesses utilised the premises - including an alehouse and a hangman who plied his trade in the 18th century.
By the end of the 19th century it was falling into disrepair and was going to be demolished. However, it was taken over by the Provand's Lordship Society and turned into a museum, helped in 1927 by furniture provided by Sir William Burrell. At the rear of the building there is now a medieval herb garden which somehow survives all the fumes from the passing traffic.
In 1981 a local builder renovated the building - and charged the Council and Historic Scotland only one penny for the work as a way of saying thank-you to the city. But recently it had to close as one of the walls was found to be suffering from masonry fatigue. This time the repair cost is likely to be 400,000 pounds (US$660,000).
You can find out more about Glasgow at the City of Glasgow's own Web site and from the illustrations in the Glasgow Guide. The city is also viewed from a tourist perspective in the Glasgow section of a site devoted to the Clyde Valley.
