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Summary

Description

Office of James Kennedy Hunter, 1906; alterations and repairs 2001. 2-storey Scots Renaissance purpose-built library on prominent corner site; Venetian windows to 1st floor breaking broad, mutuled eaves cornice. Central pilastered doorpiece to High Street with 'CARNEGIE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY' and arms above; flanking bays (altered 2001, formerly bipartite windows) that to L now entrance. Curved corner bay with 3 bipartites to ground; central 1st floor bipartite flanked by square pillars projecting beyond eaves with pyramidal caps on ball feet; cartouche with coronet between; conical slated tower on flat roof with weathervane. 3 bays to St Cuthbert's Road each with tripartite to ground an Venetian window above. Door to basement outer L.

Battered base course to sloping ground on St Cuthbert's Road. Squared and snecked bull-faced pink sandstone; polished ashlar dressings.

SW ELEVATION: gable to L with small bipartite to ground, tall transomed bipartite above; 6 ground and 6 1st floor windows to R.

Replacement timber sash and case windows in traditional style. Grey slates; straight skews; coped ashlar ridge stacks; clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: recently refurbished; little original fabric survives.

Statement of Special Interest

Funded by the wealthy philanthropist Andrew Carnegie as part of his substantial project to create public libraries throughout his native Scotland and elsewhere in the world, Carnegie donated #2500 towards the cost of the library. Built by the office of J K Hunter of Ayr, and possibly designed by assistant James Carrick, the library is in typical Edwardian fashion, combining elements from established styles. It originally contained reading rooms, lending library, billiard room and games room but there is virtually nothing left of the interior scheme. After lying empty for approximately ten years, the local authority funded the restoration in 2001. The broad corner position of the building forms an impressive entrance to the High Street, opposite the A-listed Maybole Castle and adjacent to the C(S)-listed Baronial-style Edwardian post office.

References

Bibliography

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