About our history

The Lodging House Mission was established in 1907 as a joint project of the Presbytery of Glasgow and the Church of Scotland Home Board to help meet the needs of the then 15,000 single men and women living in Glasgow's lodging houses. At that time, Dr Watson, minister of St Clements Church felt that the Church of Scotland was not doing as much as possible for the spiritual, emotional and practical needs of these men and women.

The Buildings were built in 1863-4 as the East Campbell United Presbyterian Church, by Haig & Low the winners of a Limited design competition. They are built in the Cinquecento style of the Italian School, and are reported in the 'Building News' of February the 13th 1863 to have cost £6,500. They replaced an older church on the same site as can be seen on the map of 1860, the small street at that time having three churches within twenty yards of each other.

This was a period of intense religious activity and competition between the various sects, the success of the Preacher obviously being measured by the size of the Congregation he could draw. The East Campbell Presbyterians were suitably ambitious, and they built the new Church to seat 1,400 people, making it one of the largest in the city. By around the time of the Union of the Churches in 1929 the activities of the Mission founded in 1908 were transferred from St. Paul's Church Halls in Shuttle Street to the former United Presbyterian Church in East Campbell Street.

As one would have anticipated the Church Building in its original form was poorly situated to the needs of the Mission, and consequently in 1933 alteration work was carried out by the Architects Wylie, Wright & Wylie to floor the church building at gallery level - forming a church on the upper floor, and Hall plus ancillary accommodation on the ground floor. The hall building was subdivided to form a Caretakers' flat on the ground floor now occupied by the office staff, and Meeting rooms on the upper floor now occupied by resident artists Kojak and Randolph. This work was carried out at a total cost of £5,000 a far cry from today's prices!

Subsequent Years

Through the years that followed. The Lodging House Mission providing a Christian witness in worship and service has attempted to meet the needs of each generation responding to the changes in society and the church communities. Having started with premises in Glasgow's Candleriggs a move was made to the present site in East Campbell Street where the LHM has had its home for 70 years. Offering hospitality, food, pastoral care and worship to the most vulnerable members of society have been the cornerstones of the work of the Lodging House Mission over these years, with a focus on those who are homeless, sleeping rough or living in a 'lodging house.'