The Harris Institute
The Harris Institute
An effort to buy the building as a community asset in 2023 failed – despite a crowdfunding campaign – and instead it was purchased by The Harris Investment Group, based in Bolton.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the latest planning application. As well as the plans for the change of use a separate application has been lodged for consent to convert and make changes to a listed building.
A Facebook post from the Friends of The Harris School of Art in December 2024:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AfGbcg2LP/
The Harris Institute is listed on the National Heritage List for England.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1207231
The Harris Institute History
Originally opened in 1849, the building was later funded by benefactor Edmund Robert Harris. He stipulated it should be used for educational purposes.
It became the Harris School of Art and later the Darul Aloom Islamic Institution. However, the Institute has been empty for almost 10 years and is currently on Historic England’s At Risk Register.
The Shepherd Library was relocated to the Mechanics Institute and opened in these premises on 29th July 1851. The Preston Institution for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (or Mechanics’ Institute) building in Avenham was built between 1846 and 1849 by John Welch. It was converted and enlarged from 1882 to serve as a Technological College, parent institution of the Harris Technical School in Corporation, which ultimately became Lancashire Polytechnic, and currently the University of Central Lancashire.
