James Davidson (Scottish architect)

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James Davidson (1848–April 1923) was a Scottish architect who also served as Provost of Coatbridge and as President of Airdrie Savings Bank.

He was born in 1848 in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, the son of a weaver. He studied at Airdrie Academy and trained as a joiner. As a teenager he moved to Glasgow and attended the Athenaeum on Ingram Street.

In 1905–1906, he designed the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh with J. D. Swanston; Davidson designed the exterior and Swanston the interior. He also designed many schools for the Old Monklands School Board between 1892 and 1914, including Calderbank Public School (1892), Bargeddie Primary School (1894), Greenhill Primary School (1902), Gartsherrie Primary School (1906) and Langloan Primary School (1914).

He became Provost of Coatbridge on 10 November 1909 and served until 1912. In 1920 he designed the Airdrie Savings Bank building, and from 1921 until his death in April 1923 he was the bank’s tenth President. He also served as Master of the Operative Lodge of Airdrie No 203, Freemasons, in 1877–1878.