The old photo is High Blantyre Main Street, near Kirkton, looking east. Taken in the 1920’s it shows Sneddon’s Buildings, or Sneddons Laun.

In the foreground is Sneddon’s Building, a former row of 2-storey stone tenements on the south side of High Blantyre Main Street. Situated to the west of Kirkton Cross, they once formed a terraced row of homes and shops in front of the current carpark for the Old Parish Church. Named after John Sneddon, of High Blantyre.

It is thought by some that the buildings were initially known as Downies Buildings (unproven), but what is known is that they were later definitely owned primarily by the Sneddon family. According to old photographs showing a date stone, the tenements were built in 1865 and replaced detached buildings formerly on that site.

According to the valuation roll of 1930, Mrs. Annie Sneddon, who was the trustee of the late John Sneddon, owned almost the full block which had addresses all of odd numbering from 403 to 417 inclusive. Number 403 was located located near the Kirkton Cemetery now were the coal monument sits and was close to a former corner pub/spirit shop. Number 403 was owned by Mrs. Annie Sneddon but she leased 2 houses at this address out to Mr. Joseph Wilson and Mr. Andrew Longmuir. Annie owned 11 homes in 1930 in this block between 403 and 417 inclusive. Number 417 was at the opposite corner of the junction of Craigmuir Road. Kirkton was located at the west end of a row of tenements on Main Street.

Number 397 Main Street was the pub at the end, which in 1930 was named “The Red Lion Bar”. Of note, there were 2 Houses at numbers 399 and 2 houses at 401 between Sneddon’s Building at the pub in 1930. These 4 homes were owned not by Annie, but by Mrs. Mary D MacFarlane of Glasgow.