Springburn Virtual Museum

Springburn in transition

Springburn Road at Queenshill Street, c 1910

Between 1860 and 1910, Springburn's industries were booming. Most of Springburn's tenements were built during this time, and the number of houses tripled from 3500 in 1881 to 10918 in 1911.

The North British Railway was the biggest landlord, but some landlords were individuals who had invested their savings in a tenement building for quick returns on rent. After 1910, these private landlords stopped building 'working class' housing in Springburn, as their profits were being reduced by the higher price of land and the new regulations which aimed to prevent overcrowding.

As a result, Springburn's tenements began to decay. The first world war delayed action on the growing housing shortage, and the depression of the 1930s also stopped maintenance on old buildings.

Source: Glasgow City Archives