This is an entrance gate to Ferguslie Mills from Maxwellton Street. This would have served the smaller Mill building’s surrounding the Old Mill complex, dated around 1889/90.
As the site increased in size, three official entrances were established:
Bridge Lane Gate House built 1887,
The Spool Store and Gatehouse from 1890 are on the same axis, so count as once entrance.
The North Gatehouse from 1858 and lastly the West Gatehouse, from 1889.
This is an old steam powered vehicle used in and around the Ferguslie Mills site. In the early days the site still used the old Paisley, Johnstone and Adrossan Canal and had train tracks that ran from the old Goods yard. This picture is dated around 1890.
This is a portable Fire Appliance from the 1890s. Ferguslie Mills had their own Fire Station and Officers who lived close to the mills. Coats always had the most up to date equipment and appliances in their day, so much so that at times they assisted the town’s Fire Service which was not as well equipped.
The West Gatehouse at Ferguslie in 1889. This was used as an entrance from the Green Road. It served the large Victorian Number 8 Mill of the same date and Number 9 Mill from 1894. It also allowed access to the large Mill Canteen (West Canteen) which could sit over 800 workers at any one sitting.