As Kirkcaldy Galleries marks its centenary, the latest Object re-visits the story behind its creation - one rooted in remembrance, civic pride and perseverance. The Galleries, now a cultural hub, were originally conceived as part of Kirkcaldy’s ambitious war memorial complex, honouring the local men who gave their lives in the Great War. It had always been the team's intention to make a contribution towards the centenary celebrations and we were delighted when Jane Freel, from On-Fife, approached us for that very purpose. Jane has been part of the group who have curated and assembled the excellent centenary exhibition currently running in the Galleries. We were delighted to note that Jane was one of the members of staff introduced to King Charles III on his recent visit to re-dedicate the war memorial.

It is simply not possible to look at any part of the war memorial offering in isolation. From almost the outset it was determined that the three components – the buildings, the memorial itself and the gardens would together form Kirkcaldy's War Memorial.

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Kirkcaldy lost 985 men in what was termed the 'War to end Wars'. To that number can be added the 105 names on the Dysart memorial.  One thousand and 90 is an extraordinarily high figure and, while even one death is one too many, by comparison, Dunfermline lists 610 on its memorial.

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Quoting these figures is an attempt to quantify the pain, loss and suffering, which was felt by many Lang Toun's citizens prior to the end of the conflict on the 11th November 1918. Hardly a street was untouched by loss which explains the great clamour for a tangible memorial to be erected to the fallen as soon as practical.

The name of John Nairn will forever be associated with the memorial especially in terms of the Museum and Art Gallery. That is equally true of the Library which was another of his gifts. Sadly, he died before the library was completed but, in any event, it is doubtful if he would have attended the opening – he had evaded the opening of the Museum and Art Gallery, possibly because he was a man who shunned being in the limelight or, was the pain of the loss of his only son, Ian Couper Nairn, during the conflict too much to bear? 

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The association of the Nairn name is well known and documented but another name, not so well known, looms large in the shape of Provost Alexander Kilgour. Kilgour was an outstanding Provost with several high profile events punctuating his tenure.

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•  The construction of the Promenade.

•  The commencement of housing schemes to provide 'Homes fit for Heroes'.

•  The extension of the town's water supply by the construction of the Arnot                 Reservoir.

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•   The gifting of Ravenscraig Park to the town by Sir Michael Nairn.

•   The construction and opening of Gallatown Park.

•    And overseeing the amalgamation of Dysart and Kirkcaldy.

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What is even more impressive is, in terms of his business and civic life, his rise to prominence given that he came from poverty. The early loss of his father saw such financial hardship as to see him receiving his eduction at Pathhead Philp School. This was something he was extremely proud of and he never hid the fact. Starting working life as an office boy with Ireland & Wishart he steadily rose to become Managing Director. He joined the Town Council in 1899 and for 19 years was the Burgh Treasurer. In 1919, he unanimously replaced Sir Robert Lockhart as the civic head, a position he retained until his retiral in 1934. Such was his acumen, especially in the field of finance, that in 1900, although the youngest councillor, he took charge of the town's purse-strings until his elevation to being appointed civic head. If ever there was a self-made man – it was Alexander Kilgour!

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By the early 1920s, the community was growing anxious. The war had ended in 1918, yet no memorial stood to commemorate the fallen. The delay, however, was less about hesitation or site selection but more a reflection on the energy and determination behind a plan championed by Provost Kilgour. There was no shortage of options when it came to a potential site but all but one had the failing of a lack of space for anything more than a memorial. The possible sites had been identified as:-

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•   A corner of the grounds of the Adam Smith Halls, close to St. Brycedale Avenue.

•   A corner of the grounds of Balsusney Park – directly over Bennochy Road from        the above.

•   Astonishing to consider today but in the centre of the junctions of Bennochy            Road, St Brycedale Avenue, Wemyssfield and Abbotshall Road.

•   On the open ground close to the Beveridge Park Gates – now a roundabout.

•   The Beveridge Park was another under consideration – but was fairly quickly           dismissed as considered too far from the centre.

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It can be seen that the space available in any of the first four sites mentioned would certainly be restrictive and in any event the Provost had other ideas:-

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Provost Kilgour believed that Kirkcaldy's fallen deserved more than a stone monument. He envisioned a memorial encompassing a public park, formal gardens and a facility housing a museum, library and art gallery. This suggests that there was a plan to provide these facilities prior to John Nairn becoming involved – or at least before his being involved publicly.

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A potential option was available via the opportunity to purchase a substantial mansion and grounds which, by coincidence, had become available following the death of their owner. This was Charles Maxton, the owner of the firm of John Jeffery & Co., linen manufacturers, operating from Abbotshall Linen Works. He had joined the firm in 1859 and had a 62 year long relationship with the company eventually rising to becoming the sole proprietor.

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His home, Balsusney House and Park, were identified as the ideal site - spacious, available to purchase and yet, possibly, financially out of reach. It has to be said that Kirkcaldy's two main weekly newspapers – the Fife Free Press and the Fifeshire Advertiser nailed their colours to the mast of the Balsusney Plan as did the public. The problem was the price being sought - the not inconsiderable sum of £7,000, without taking into account the cost of the memorial, laying out the grounds and re-modelling the house. The total cost was estimated at around £20,000 which was certainly problematic, as donations were well short of that level.

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Fortunately, many considered it was overpriced by Maxton's executors and, despite several reductions to the asking price, it remained unsold. While the Council continued to explore other sites it was always their ambition to secure Balsusney House. Provost Kilgour was involved in extensive talks to try and negotiate a lower price. 

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Eventually he succeeded in securing the property’s purchase at a reduced cost, but available funds could not stretch to converting the existing house. The Provost had offered the sum of £4,000 – the trustees sought £5,000 and, as so often happens, they compromised in the middle at £4,500. The site was secured and donations, at that stage, were sufficient to allow for the erection of the monument and lay out the grounds. The difficulty came in funding the alterations and extension to Balsusney House to form the cultural hub.

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The situation was something of a disappointment as it had been anticipated that when the plans for this superb memorial were made public, there would be a significant uplift in donations – that simply did not materialise. The provisional solution was letting Balsusney House to a government department for a five year period while work on the gardens and memorial proceeded. During this lengthy delay funds would be accrued to revamp the mansion and complete the project. The question was – is such a delay acceptable?   Probably not, but thankfully the question did not have to be put to the test.

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Then came the turning point, when linoleum magnate John Nairn stepped in, offering to pay for the demolition of Balsusney House and the construction and furnishing of the new building. Nairn’s intervention brought the vision to fruition. In 1928, he added the town’s library as a generous extension. He wanted no thanks and it was said that, if the project could have been completed anonymously, that would have been his preference.

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Architect John S. Mackay, working to John Nairn's plans, designed the elegant freestone structure still admired today, and two sub-committees - one for the museum and one for the art gallery - sought out paintings, artefacts, and historical objects to fill the new spaces. The Art Gallery in particular was launched with a Fine Art Loan Exhibition which saw 176 exquisite works of art on display. The museum was less spectacular with its core being the items held in Kirkcaldy's first museum which had been based in Pet Marjorie's former home on the High Street. This small museum had been formed thanks to the efforts of the Kirkcaldy Naturalists Society opening in 1913.  Understandably therefore, Geology was a main feature but the sub-committee worked extremely energetically to secure, by donations and loans, relics of both the town and some of its famous citizens.

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The full story of this Object traces that journey, highlighting setbacks, breakthroughs, and the resolute individuals who made it possible. The word resolute is not an exaggeration – they certainly were.  Readers are guided, room by room, through the building, as it appeared in June 1925, hopefully capturing the spirit of that opening day. It offers a glimpse into a defining moment in Kirkcaldy’s history, honouring not only the visionaries who brought the project to fruition but, above all, the memory of the fallen.

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One interesting feature gleaned from the research was the discovery of the style and manner in which the gardens were laid out for the opening on the 27th June 1925. It would seem that most/all of the trees, plants and bushes used are still available today. Possibly for some future event that original layout might be resurrected. What was also uncovered was the ability and ingenuity of George Sinclair, the Superintendent of Parks. Very few Corporation employees, if any, will have had a public subscription launched for a retiral gift – George Sinclair did and he received an engraved silver salver and a wallet containing bank notes. But possibly the greatest compliment which can be paid is that his work still lives on in the outstanding gardens.

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The full story can be reached from the icon on this page and is augmented by a selection of archive photographs, original plans, and press clippings.