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Summary

Description

Thomas Smellie, circa 1905. Pair of 2-storey, 2-bay semi detached L-plan Freestyle villas with tower and porch in re-entrant angles. Polished yellow sandstone ashlar to principal elevation, coursed sandstone rubble to sides. Polished ashlar eaves cornice and dressings. Drip sills to most windows, sill band to 1st floor bay windows.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: No 59 to right: 2-storey entrance tower with candle snuffer roof in re-entrant angle, architraved rectangular door surround with alternate arched and moulded quoins, prominent keystone leading to rectangular pediment, moulded triangular pediment surmounting, panelled door; paired narrow rectangular windows with drip sills to 1st floor. To far right, advanced 2-storey, 3-sided canted bay window; to each floor, bipartite window to centre, single window to canted sides. To left of entrance tower, window to ground floor right, small high square window adjacent to left; oversized window to 1st floor left. No 61 adjoining to left: 1 ? -storey square entrance porch with projecting cornice in re-entrant angle, arched window with projecting sill and arched hood mould, architraved entrance door surround to right return. To ground floor right, small high square window; oversized window to 1st floor right. To far left, advanced 2-storey, 3-sided canted bay window; to each floor, bipartite window to centre, single window to canted sides.

SE ELEVATION: gabled end with single window to centre of each floor, now blind window to right of 1st floor, gablehead stack.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: not seen, 2001.

NW ELEVATION: gabled end with single window to centre of each floor, gablehead stack.

2-pane timber sash and case windows with horned upper sashes; heavy stone mullion and transoms to bay windows. Stained glass, multi-paned timber sash and case windows to oversized staircase windows and 2-pane arched porch window of No 61's porch. Piended grey slate roof, candle-snuffer roof to tower, 3-side canted piended roof to bay windows. Copper ball and stalk finials surmounting apex of bays and candle-snuffer roof. Replacement multi-paned roof light partially concealed by tower. Metal ridging, flashing and valleys. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative cast-iron hoppers. Coursed ashlar gablehead stacks, projecting neck cope, plain terracotta cans; replacement modern brown brick shared roofline stack to centre, stepped base with brown clay cans.

INTERIOR: not seen, 2001.

Statement of Special Interest

Leading out of Kilmarnock to the east is London Road. Along with Portland and Dundonald Roads, London Road was viewed as a fashionable address in the 19th century. Originally, a few classical villas were set along this semi-rural road, with open aspects to the south and north. Prosperous Victorians bought land and had villas individually designed and built as symbols of their wealth. This slightly later villa departs from the usual gothic or classical houses along the road. Its architect was local man Thomas Smellie (1860 - 1938). He worked with Gabriel Andrew before moving to his own practice in Grange Place. His house, at 46 Portland Road, still has his architectural studio visible. Smellie was the architect of many buildings in Kilmarnock at this time. He and Maclennan, of Paisley, were deeply influenced by the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Glasgow and picked up much of the new architectural direction. This pair of villas is designed to look like one house, not the classical symmetrical pairing found in the rest of the road. The house was owned by Arthur Shepard, a local teacher, in the 1930's. Still in residential use, the villas are listed as good examples of the Freestyle in use at the beginning of the 20th century.

References

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