From its heyday as a boom town of the Industrial Revolution when the town grew and developed rapidly as a major textile manufacturing centre, through its twentieth-century decline, to its current status as a city and administrative centre for the county of Lancashire, Preston has had a proud and distinctive identity. This extraordinary history is embodied in the buildings that have shaped the city. Preston in 50 Buildings explores the history of this rich and vibrant community through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures. From the Grade I-listed Harris Museum to the modern Guild Hall, this unique study celebrates the city’s architectural heritage in a new and accessible way. Well-known local author Keith Johnson guides the reader on a tour of the city’s historic buildings and modern architectural marvels. The churches, theatres, pubs and cinemas of Preston’s industrial past are examined alongside the innovative buildings of a twenty-first-century city.