Building Biographies

Title: Building Biographies
Description: The Building Biographies project recruited volunteers to undertake research into some of the large country houses within Galloway, with the research taking place from February to June 2023.
Each volunteer was given their own specific house to research, piecing together timelines from their initial construction through to how they stand today. The project included houses that were still in use, ruinous or even demolished, featuring a variety of functions dating back to the 19th century or earlier.

As more volunteers signed up the study area expanded to include a mix of country houses from across Galloway, and even a few from Dumfriesshire.

By the end of the project, 32 volunteers submitted their findings as summary reports, which covered 42 country houses across Galloway. The volunteers included people from Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire, Glasgow and America. Their results revealed stories of the people who designed, lived and worked within these houses, stories which reflect both local history and connections to far-flung places during times of peace and war.

The passion and commitment shown by the volunteers in uncovering the stories of these houses, both good and bad, has been inspiring, and they have created an impressive record which will be shared for many years to come.
Date: 2023
Contributor: GGLP