Headquarters of the Department of Economic & Social History since 2005, Lilybank House was built in the 1830s for Robert Allan, a Glasgow merchant.

It was later home to John Blackie, under whose ownership the house was extended by Alexander "Greek" Thomson in the 1860s. Further additions were made in the 1890s by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

During refurbishment in 2005, original wall paintings by Thomson were uncovered. The building is part of the Thomson Heritage Trail, as commemorated by a plaque on Thomson's wing.

Lilybank House was used as a hall of residence for female students at the University, and more recently it housed the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences. 


First published: 8 November 2011