Maxwell Square

This three-quarter acre prime site was gifted by Sir John Stirling Maxwell to provide a green space for local children, when the tenements to the east of Shields Road were being rapidly developed in the 1880's. It was opened in 1889. This postcard dates from 1905. It shows the cast-iron drinking fountain on the Kenmure Street side of the park, the handsome red sandstone tenements of Keir Street (built in 1900-01) and the twin spires of Pollokshields East Church which once graced the site of Herriet Court until destroyed by fire in 1983. The original park was created some nine feet below street level and over the years has gradually been filled in. By the time of the Second World War a very large air raid precaution water tank dominated the ground, accompanied by a mooring block for the occasional barrage balloon. More recently most of the original perimeter trees have fallen prey to disease, and notwithstanding the re-equipping of the play area for younger children in ..... , concern about the overall run-down condition of the square has led to a recent initiative for an action plan based on an overall appraisal of the demand for its amenity, which is gathering momentum.