Description
Home of the poet William Soutar from 1924 until his death in
1943, the left hand part of a double house built for the
partners in his father's building firm of Soutar and McQueen.
As the house adjoining to the right (No 29) forms an integral
part of the building, it too is included in the listing as
part of the one item.
William Soutar suffered from a progressively debilitating
illness which forced him to become permanently confined to
his bed (his Diaries give the date as 3 November 1930) and
the family home was adapted to accommodate him, his bed and
his library (ultimately, about 2,000 volumes of his were
deposited in Perth library) in one room which was enlarged by
his father, a Master Joiner, who also installed handsome
timber panelling, with mirrors to enable Soutar to see every
part of the room and all his books. This work all survives,
though the furnishings are all but entirely removed.
In 1958, Soutar's home was donated to the Town Council of
Perth by his father as a memorial to the poet. It was used
for several purposes, and for a time housed council tenants,
for whom the house was modernised. It is now (1990) used to
house a 'writer in residence' and for gatherings, usually of
a literary nature.
The house was built to the design of Alexander K Beaton of
Perth, architect; planning consent was obtained in 1923.
Externally, the building has been virtually unaltered in
recent years. Harled, broad-eaved, piend-roofed and slated,
it is a symmetrical U-plan, single storey to the street, like
a double bungalow 2-storeyed to the flanks and rear. Long
flat street front, each house has its door set in a deeply
recessed centre which links to large timber-mullioned and
transomed windows lighting rooms on either side; leaded
lights. Tall narrow end stacks and projecting chimney
breasts, mutual axial stack. Rear wings are similar, though
not identical to one another, upper windows break through
eaves.
Inside, Soutar's house is well-finished, and has also been little-altered (kitchen and bathroom fittings are modern).
Entrance hall and room to right (?dining room) are
timber-panelled in similar manner to Soutar's bedroom;
fireplaces throughout have coloured tiles, decorative
chimney-pieces in principal rooms, some (upstairs) with art
nouveau detail. To the rear, beyond the kitchen, the maid's
room and access stairway is white-painted with contrasting
wooden strips like timber framing.
Small conservatory to rear; garage deeply recessed on flank;
low boundary/retaining wall to street, wrought iron gates
(railings mostly removed).