History
Sir William Pearce
The Pearce Institute was gifted to the people of Govan in 1906 by Lady Elizabeth Pearce in memory of her husband, Sir William Pearce, Chairman of the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company and Govan’s flamboyant first Member of Parliament. The Category ‘A’ Listed building was designed by the eminent architect, Sir Rowand Anderson, and is a striking example of Edwardian architecture.
The institute was established under a Trust Deed, to be used for such purposes as the Trustees considered to be for the religious, educational, social and moral welfare of the people of Govan. The buildings were designed to provide a Concert Hall, Lesser Halls, Recreation Rooms, Reading Rooms, Class Rooms, Working Girls’ Club House and Gymnasium. Day-to-day management of the PI was delegated by the Trustees to a Management Committee made up of project representatives and user groups.