In "A History of Paisley 600 - 1908", W. M. Metcalfe noted:
"The School of Art, which stood in Gilmour Street, dated back to the year 1848. Many years before that, however, endeavours had been made by the Town Council and others, to make local provision for education in Art; but it was not till the year mentioned, that these endeavours came to a practical issue. The architect of the building was Mr. Lamb. Together with the furniture and equipment, it cost about d3,000, and when the school was opened on September 4, 1848, the committee of management were .1,200 in debt. In 1860, the laws and regulations of the institution were altered, and it became known as "The Paisley Government School of Art. In addition to Art Classes, classes for instruction in science were opened, with the result that many students attached themselves to it. After a successful career under excellent management, the institution was amalgamated with the Technical College in 1885".
