Description
James MacLaren and Sons, 1890: extended 1896; further extended 1908, MacLaren, Sons and Soutar; later 20th century addition at W. 2-storey attic and basement, elongated irregular-plan school on falling ground. 1890 and 1896 blocks; bull-faced snecked rubble, ashlar dressings, piended slate roofs with terracotta ridge tiles and finials. Band course at basement and ground floor lintel level, string course at ground floor cill level, 1st floor slightly recessed with advanced window margins and corbelled ashlar eaves course. Single and grouped large multi-pane windows, top- and bottom-hopper timber frames, stop-chamfered jambs, round-headed and corniced hoods with some sculptured decoration at ground floor N, mannered hoodmoulds at S and E, most 1st floor windows segmental-headed; crowstepped, pedimental and piended dormerheads breaking through eaves, small bargeboarded dormers. 1907 block: bull-faced snecked rubble, ashlar dressings, harled at N and W, piended slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and finials. Band course at basement and ground floor lintel level. Single and grouped large multi-pane windows, top- and bottom-hopper timber frames, chamfered jambs at S and E, segmental-headed panels at N, piended and segmental dormerheads breaking through eaves at S. All blocks have security meshes at basement windows, numerous cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative hoppers.
N ELEVATION: 1890 BLOCK: at centre. Recessed 2-bay section at centre right; door at right and 2 windows at left set in segmental-arched panels, 2 bipartite stair windows with corbelled and crenellated detail above, 2 windows at 1st floor; advanced bay at right with 2 windows at 1st floor; advanced bay at right with 2 windows at ground floor, pedimented dormerhead at 1st; right return elevation has various windows at all levels and crowstepped gable stack at centre, glazed bridge with tiled roof at ground floor level links to 1907 block at far right, 2 flights of steps to playground pass beneath enclosed by cast-iron railings. Advanced 5-bay section at left; 4 small basement windows, window at centre with pediment surmounting hood, window at 1st floor, dormer, 2 bays at left and right each with 2 windows at ground floor and 2 windows at 1st breaking through eaves with crowstepped gables, window at ground and 1st floor left and right returns.
1896 BLOCK: at left; gable advanced at left with 2 windows at ground floor, window at 1st breaking through eaves with pedimented dormerhead, 2 windows at ground and 1st floor right return, 2 windows at ground floor right with corbelled and crenellated detail above, 2 windows at 1st floor. 1907 BLOCK: at right; asymmetrical. Corniced stack at centre left, 4 windows at ground and 1st floor right with timber transoms and mullions and segmental panels above, 2 windows at ground and 1st floor left, 3 windows at ground and 4 at 1st floor left return, large segmental window at 1st floor right return, 2 large horizontal rooflights; later 20th century addition adjoins at right return gable.
E ELEVATION: entrance porch at centre lef t with window, corbelled and crenellated parapet, door recessed at S, window at main building at left, 2 tripartites at right partly masked by later flat-roofed single storey projection at right with 4 boarded or louvred openings extending to end of building, 3 bipartite windows at 1st floor breaking through eaves with half-piended roofs, single window 2nd bay from right with large horizontal rooflight above, wallhead stack 2nd bay from left.
S ELEVATION: 1890 BLOCK; at centre. 3 bipartite windows at basement and ground floor, 3 bipartites at 1st breaking through eaves with crowstepped paediment at centre and half-piended at left and right, school bell on bracket at left; steps to sub-basement with cast-iron railings at ground floor right return, 2 windows at basement and ground floor, bipartite breaking through eaves with half-piended floor at 1st, wallhead stack at right; recessed section at right with 2 large openings at basement (blocked at left, metal gate and railings at right), 2 bipartite windows at ground floor, 2 at 1st breaking through eaves with half-piended roofs, dormer at centre, window at basement, ground and 1st floor at splayed re-entrant angles at left and right.
1896 BLOCK; advanced at right; similar to earlier block at left except that left return elevation has 2 windows at basement and 1 at 1st floor.
1907 BLOCK; at left. 3 symmetrical bays at left, advanced bay at centre with 2 windows at basement, bipartite and 2 flanking windows at ground floor, large segmental-headed window and 1st, shouldering fable with kneelers and symmmetrical stacks rising from coped skews, bay at left with 2 large entrances at basement with metal gate and railings, bipartite and 2 flanking windows at ground floor, bipartite at 1st floor breaking through eaves with segmental pediment and 2 flanking windows, similar bay at right but with 3 windows at basement, later 20th century block advanced at far left. Recessed bay at right with door and 2 windo ws at bassement, bipartite and 2 flanking windows at ground floor, bipar tite at 1st floor breaking though eaves with half-piended roof and 2 fla nking windows, right return elevation has 2 windows at basement, 1 at go round and 1st floors; further recessed bay at far right has 2 louvred wi ndows at basement, window at ground and 1st floor.
INTERIOR: 2 scale and platt staircases with cast-iron barley sugar balusters; some corridors and classrooms with boarded dado; original assembly hall on 1st floor of original block has been divided but roof struts still exposed, similar struts remain in art room at 1st floor of 1896 block; 1907 block has full height assembly hall with scale and platt stairs at E and W behind tripartite segmental-arched screens leading to gallery on 3 walls, plain metal balusters and oversailing loop braces at gallery, exposed timber roof struts with queen posts and segmental braces.
BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: flat-coped snecked rubble boundary walls at E, pyramidal-capped gatepier, cast-rion gate and failings; rubble wall at S partly formed from remains of play sheds; cast-iron railings at N set in low saddleback ashlar slabs.