Over two days, the public got a glimpse of the sympathetic restoration of one of Govan’s architectural gems, the B-listed former Hills Trust Primary School, which has been home to Elderpark since 2020.

It was the first time Elderpark has taken part in the Doors Open event, which saw many buildings opened across Glasgow as thousands visited to see what was behind some of the city’s most fascinating doors.

Appropriately, the Doors Open Event also coincided with the 150th anniversary of the Hills Trust building opening, which was the catalyst for deciding to participate in the event.

Throughout the two days, a constant flow of visitors to Elderpark’s offices was welcomed by staff, with over 100 people coming through the doors to enjoy seeing how the scholastic theme of the former Victorian school has been carefully preserved while creating a modern, accessible workplace.

The former Hills Trust Primary School is one of Govan’s best-known buildings with its distinctive bell tower. It was built on land bequeathed to the community and named after philanthropist Abraham Hill.

Located near Govan Cross, it educated local children for one hundred years until 1974, when pupils were moved to a nearby new school which, unlike the original, didn’t stand the test of time and closed in 2010. It is now the site of 82 new social rented homes provided by Elderpark.

The original Hills Trust building continued to serve the community, providing various council services until the early 2000s, then lay empty until it was revived by Elderpark.

The restoration has preserved the two traditional staircases with their elaborate ironwork railings used by thousands of schoolchildren for almost a century, and there is a strong emphasis on the local area with green, blue and grey décor as a nod to nearby Elder Park, the River Clyde and Govan’s incomparable shipbuilding heritage.

High ceilings – so typical of Victorian and Edwardian schools - have been retained, and each of the larger meeting spaces references significant figures within the Govan area – notably philanthropists Isabella Elder and husband John Elder, Abraham Hill and heroine of local housing Mary Barbour.

It was built in an “Italianate” style –a much-admired classical 19th century architecture style which can still be seen around the world.

Many of the visitors were former pupils (together with some former teachers) keen to reminisce fondly about their time at the school.

One of those was the school’s 1963 “Dux Medalist” Alex Simpson whose silver medal was on show. He brought along his grandchildren Belle (8) and Noah (3) who were keen to try out vintage wooden desks - a throwback to their grandfather’s schooldays. While Alex was a well-behaved pupil, others shared stories of their less fun moments in the times when behaviour not to the teachers’ liking was met with the belt!

Also, on show for the first time was a newly-created 3D-printed scale model of the building – carefully created by Elderpark Management Committee Member and architecture student Tomasz Sawczuk. The intricate model took three days of continuous printing and reflects the grandeur of the building.

Gary Dalziel, Elderpark’s chief executive, said it had been important to respect the original features of such an impressive building while ensuring it became Elderpark’s new home.

Gary added: “We were delighted to participate in the Glasgow Doors Open Weekend as it allowed us to show the wider pubic, most of whom had a connection to the school or the Govan area, how the building had been brought back to life while preserving the area’s proud built heritage.

“Getting to hear stories from former pupils (and teachers) as they picked out themselves as children in the pictures, shared where their desks were and reminisced about their childhood in the school and Govan over 60 years ago was a brilliant way to spend a few hours.

“It is one of those days when you reflect and think about the fact that thousands of people have been through the building over its 150-year lifespan and being able to keep it alive and flourishing is something we are proud of as a local community organisation.”

“We also want to say thank you to one of our volunteer Management Committee members Tomasz who has recaptured in detail, with his 3-D printed scale model, one of Govan’s most outstanding buildings.”