Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

James Davidson, 1902. Single storey and basement, essentially rectangular plan, Renaissance-detailed school, built on falling ground. Bull-faced sandstone coursers at basement, snecked rubble and ashlar to principal floor, ashlar dressings, modern tile roof. Single 6-pane windows to basement, mostly single and bipartite 10-pane sash and case windows to principal floor; cill course, Ionic pilasters, corniced parapet with urn finials and stepped gables to angle pavilions.

FRONT ELEVATION: symmetrical; ogival-headed and lugged moulded

doorcase to centre, keystoned and architraved oval window above, broken segmental pediment with obelisk finial at parapet, large cross-window to left and right with moulded lugged architrave and pedimented transom; slightly advanced 3-bay pavilion to left an right, tripartite depressed-arch window to centre flanked by single windows and pilasters, 4 basement windows to left pavilion.

SIDE ELEVATIONS: asymmetrical; plainer than front elevation but with similar detailing.

INTERIOR: largely unaltered, some pedimented overdoors. Fine Art Nouveau tiles to entrance hall.

BOUNDARY WALLS, RAILINGS AND GATES: Coped snecked rubble boundary walls with original iron railings and gates, various gatepiers and gateways.

Statement of Special Interest

A good example of a primary school in Renaissance style prominently sited on a sloping ground and demonstrating some ornate decorative stone detailing particularly the urns to the gables and wallheads, an unusual feature in board schools which on balance have plainer elevations. Greenhill School also has fine boundary walls and railings in their original form and good interior details such as the central circulation hall and some fine art nouveau style decorative wall tiles.

Davidson was one of Coatbridge's most prolific and successful architects, designing many schools for the Old Monklands School Board between 1892 and 1914. His career as a school designer possibly stemmed from his ambitious design for Coatbridge Technical College of 1890. All of his schools present high quality finishes and demonstrate good compositions and fine architectural detailing (interior and exterior), mostly in the Free-Renaissance idiom but also presenting some of the flair found in contemporary urban architecture of Glasgow. Davidson's schools include Calderbank Public School, 1892; Greenhill Primary School, 1902 (see separate listing); Gartsherrie Primary School, 1906; and the largest primary, Langloan Primary School, 1914. Other prominent Coatbridge buildings by Davidson include Airdrie Savings Bank, 1920 (see separate listing); Ross Street Hall; Glenboig Union Fireclay Co; Broomknoll Parish Church. However he is best known for his design (along with J D Swanston) for the King's Theatre in Edinburgh, 1905-1906 (see separate listing). Perhaps some of Davidson's success in gaining public commissions came through his role as councillor, magistrate and later as Provost of Coatbridge during 1909 12; however, his prominence did not preclude his skill as a competent and often inventive architect.

List description updated following change of category from B to C(S) in 2012.

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.