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Shortly before his death, Alexander Cowan the papermaker gave instructions to his wife and family to use what was left of his fortune for the benefit of communities where his business had been carried on. Funds were used for more Penicuik water supply improvements, and by the early 1890s, enough interest had accrued on the remainder to begin building the Cowan Institute.
Alexander's many sons had followed him into the business and some of his extended family became Trustees in the Cowan Institute. The architect chosen to design it, Archibald Campbell Douglas was the husband of Alexander's granddaughter; he was also the architect of Her Majesty's Theatre Glasgow (now Glasgow Citizens Theatre), St Michaels Inveresk and the church at Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire. The Institute was built of red sandstone from the Moat Quarry near Canonbie on the North British railway's Waverley route, half a mile from Alexander Cowan's favourite sister's house at Woodhouselees. Many of the architectural features of the Cowan Institute match those on Moray House and the Canongate Tollbooth in the Royal Mile since Moray House was once the Cowans' long-term residence and business headquarters in town.
Canongate Tollbooth clock & the Moray House three-window balcony
Cowan Institute before and after the Trust installed the 1901 clock
The Institute was extended within a few years of first opening and the projecting clock was added in 1901. It offered a large public hall with gallery, a library with many thousands of books, billiard tables, and fitted gymnasium, all endowed for the good of the people of Penicuik.
At the time of King Edward's coronation 1902 The Institute was locally managed and organised under the supervision of trustees for over 60 years. Rebirth as Penicuik Town HallAfter negotiations with the trustees, the Institute and the Trust Fund were handed over to Penicuik Burgh Council who then moved their Municipal Offices into the building from Craigiebield House. Much of the building's recreational space was given over to the Magistrates Courts. In March 1960 the Burgh Council formally accepted the gift of the Cowan Institute building and the funds of the Cowan Trust for and on behalf of the people of Penicuik, on giving a binding undertaking to provide for the future of the recreational and hall facilities. In the early 1960s, after rot was found, the galleried hall was split into two smaller units in an internal remodelling by Robert J Naismith of the Sir Frank Mears partnership, designer of the Coronation Tower and many other Penicuik buildings---he acted as Burgh Architect for both Penicuik and Dalkeith for over 30 years.
Naismith's Coronation Tower After parliament reorganised local government in Scotland in 1974, the assets of Penicuik Burgh Council passed to the new Midlothian District Council based in Dalkeith. The raised stone letters The Cowan Institute above the entrance were removed. Management of the building passed out of Penicuik. The thousands of books had been disposed of long ago. Local organisations continued to use the building, the Court functioned each week, and local services and registration had a point of presence here. But in the face of changing patterns of use and the search for cost savings Midlothian Council decided to withdraw its permanent staff from the building, including the Registrar of births, marriages and deaths at very short notice in spring 2005, with the Court departing in due course.
But the Institute lives on. It's been a focal point for Penicuik life for over a century, hosted thousands upon thousands of dances and events, performances from classics to the Bay City Rollers, and many a marriage. At crowded meetings people were determined for that to continue, and so the new Trust was born.
Illustration by Alexander Cowan's great-great-great-grandson Robin Macfarlan The Future of the InstitutePenicuik Community Development Trust has been set up to make the Cowan Institute a sustainable focus for community development, seeking to keep it open and active all day, and restore local responsibility for management. We want to build confidence in the community and its assets, making Penicuik a better place to live in for young and old, and a more attractive place to visit and invest in. We want to see activities that generate value for the community and don't restrict the use of the building for community use. In the last year we have promoted regular Saturday opening of the Institute with events and displays involving many local organisations. Read more in Our Story So Far. See also Margaret Coull's notes on the Cowan Institute for the Public Meeting in April 2005 | ||||
