Late 1920s Hall Street, Dixons Rows, Blantyre, restored by A Rochead
Alex Rochead has recently restored this old photo of Park Street (formerly thought incorrectly by J Cornfield as being Hall Street), Dixon’s Rows, Blantyre. The restoration sees the best quality yet of these Miners homes. When Alex emailed me it, I took some time to have a real good look at this photo.
Dixons’s Rows were built in the early 1880s as homes for the miners of Dixon’s Pits. These homes lined each side of the street, running in an East – West direction. The street in front of the picture was Park Street, behind the homes, it was Dixon Street. Park Street was entered from Stonefield Road. In passing, I’d always thought for some reason Stonefield Road was beyond, but that is definitely not the case. This is Park Street looking Eastwards. In the background is the Victoria Street Medical Centre and Calder Street School. Seeing the medical centre means the picture isn’t 1920 as published on a few sites (including mine!), but must be after 1928 when the centre opened. The profile of the medical centre at the back, matches the 1936 map. Park Street is still there also on 1936 map. The picture is likely late 1920’s or early 1930s. The mortar is falling out the brickwork in this picture, definitely a sign that the buildings were in need of repair or coming to the end of their lives.
This photo has such character, the wives and children of the miners standing at each of the doors.
Note on another site it is suggested the woman is Mrs Helen McDougall Paterson 27 Park Street in 1919. However, the picture is from about 10 years after this. Also just to check the location, on a 1920 valuation roll a Robert Paterson was listed as living at 24 Park Street. Robert married Helen McDougall in 1908. They had a son Duncan born in 1911 at 27 Park Street.