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Summary

Description

Early 19th century cottage, the childhood home of Sir Patrick Geddes (1854-1932). Rectangular-plan, single storey and attic with a number of 1970s alterations. Original 3-bay arrangement discernable to principal (W) elevation with modern flat roofed dormer window flanked by canted dormers to attic. 1970s alterations include; dominating glazed flat-roofed porch to principal elevation, large single storey extension to N elevation, 2 inserted windows to S elevation and various alterations to rear. Modern uPVC windows. Coursed whinstone to principal elevation, random elsewhere, droved long and short margins to principal elevation openings, pitched slate roofs, corniced stacks with decorative cans; rendered in part to S, ashlar to N.

INTERIOR: largely modernised with some original features including panelled doors.

OUTBUILDING: small former wash house incorporated into boundary wall to S of cottage; random whinstone, slate roof with brick stack to E.

BOUNDARY WALL: random whinstone wall running along Mount Tabor Road turning W for a short distance, stepped to upper SE.

Statement of Special Interest

It should be noted that Gean Cottage is listed at category B in recognition of its historical and cultural significance as the childhood home of Sir Patrick Geddes - biologist, sociologist and pioneer planner. Geddes was a leading light in the Civic Welfare Movement, instrumental in the eradication of the slums of Edinburgh and their reconstruction, his writings on town planning include the seminal works 'City development' (1904) and 'Cities in Evolution' (1915). In the field of biology he was an authority on the evolution of sex [The Columbia Encyclopedia,1994]. Geddes held professorships at Edinburgh, London, Aberdeen, St Andrews, Bombay, and at his death he was director of the Scots College at Montpellier, France. He was knighted in 1932.

Born in Ballater in 1854 the Geddes family moved to Gean Cottage in 1857 where Patrick spent the rest of his childhood leaving in 1874 to study biological studies under Thomas Huxley at the Royal College of Mines in London. The cottage at this time was named Mount Tabor Cottage, the present owners suspect that it was named as such due to the fact that Geddes' father had been a soldier with the Black Watch Regiment spending time in Israel. It is thought that as the area became more developed in the latter half of the 19th century the name of the cottage was adopted for the road. Although the cottage has been altered during the 20th century the original elements are still discernable. It is also interesting to note that the garden still retains the same plot as represented on the 1st edition map, still bounded in parts by stone built walls.

In the late 20th century a plaque was erected on the S gable with the following inscription "Sir Patrick Geddes - Biologist, Sociologist, Pioneer City and Regional Planner spent his childhood in this cottage from 1857 to 1874. He found in the Tay Valley and on Kinnoull Hill much inspiration for his life's work."

References

Bibliography

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