James Watt College

This is the original James Watt Memorial College in Greenock. The site is where James Watt was born on 19th January 1736. After various developments the site was finally cleared and a proposal was made to use it for the erection of a memorial to James Watt.

The Glasgow architects H & D Barclay designed the original red sandstone building in a heavily ornamented Scottish baronial style. The College was built with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. On 1st June 1908 Dr Andrew Carnegie opened the Watt Memorial Engineering and Navigation School as it was then called.

At the front of the building you can see the statue that commemorates James Watt. Watt was a great engineer and inventor whose improvements to the steam engine were fundamental in bringing about the industrial revolution.

I attended the original James Watt College for one term in the early 70s as part of my Naval Architecture Course. Due to changing demands of commerce and industry a new purpose built college was opened in 1973 at Finnart Street.

In the background you can see the Victoria Tower, part of Greenock's Municipal Buildings. The Tower was completed in 1886, and stands 245 feet high.