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Summary

Description

Early 19th century house with later alterations and additions, primarily of historic interest as the one-time home of Sir Alfred Nobel. 2-storey house, possibly originally single storey, set back

from main road. Rubble, with ashlar dressings, raised margins and eaves course, harled and brick later additions at rear. Sash and case windows with 4-pane glazing pattern. Grey slates, ashlar

coped skews and stacks.

FRONT (N) ELEVATION: steps with wrought-iron balustrade to central doorway, panelled outer door, inner door half-glazed. Windows flanking, window to outer bays at 1st floor breaking eaves in gabled dormerheads with finials. Single-storey, piended addition adjoining E gable with cat-slide roof over projecting porch, 1 small window with lying-pane glazing.

REAR ELEVATION: central piended stair tower addition, harled with tall round-headed stair window. Windows flanking as front. Further additions to right; square on plan, pyramidal roofed block linked to E wing by lower gabled block with door to E. Ashlar coped, rubble garden walls to street with wrought-iron railings, gatepiers and gate with delicate wrought-iron overthrow. Rubble walls at rear enclosing large garden at rear, with brick lean-to garages to W.

Statement of Special Interest

The home for a time of Sir Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, and instigator of the Nobel Peace Prize. Nobel transformed the chemical factory at Westquarter on the Union Canal near Falkirk to manufacture explosives and detonators; the factory closed in the 1960's. Nobel lived in this house while setting up the factory, and may have been responsible for the alterations and additions. The house originally belonged to Mr. McRoberts, the Director of the Westquarter Chemical Factory, and after Nobel's habitation was subsequently occupied by a former factory employee.

References

Bibliography

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