Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

• Type

  Map

  Title

  Map for 48 and 50 St John Street, Perth (LB39618)

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600040659)

Summary

Description

A three-storey five-bay Italian palazzo style former bank, built to the designs of David Rhind in 1846. It is constructed in ashlar masonry with quoins and a deep modillion cornice with a balustraded parapet. There are Roman Doric pilastered doorcases on the outer ground floor bays and Corinthian aedicular windows with pediments on the first floor. It is prominently located in the centre of Perth, on one of the principal shopping thoroughfares and facing the east end of St John's Kirk (listed category A, ref: LB39300).

The principal (west) elevation has a cantilevered and balustraded balcony at first-floor level and an ornamented string course between the first and second floors. The four-bay south elevation to Baxter's Vennel is similar but without the doorpieces and first floor balcony. To the rear (east) is a full-height gabled return, abutted by a two-storey rectangular-plan flat-roofed extension (added in 1971) with rendered walls and slate hung tiles to the upper floor. The north elevation has a full-height screen wall, with a plain string course and cornice, set back from the main street to the west. There is a single-storey, two-bay ashlar stone extension to the re-entrant angle facing St John Street, with moulded architraves to the shop windows and a balustraded parapet.

The interior has not been seen (2025) but recent planning documents (2022) and sales photographs (2023) show historic decorative features survive, notably an elaborate ground-floor coffered ceiling, cast-iron balusters on the main stair and a top-floor vestibule with roof lantern and columns.

Historical background

The building was constructed in 1846 and first appears on the Ordnance Survey Town Plan (published 1863). This map also depicts the two-bay extension on the north side, showing that a range of buildings once extended the full length along Oliphant's Vennel. Later maps indicate that these structures were largely demolished sometime between 1900 and 1931, leaving only the extant single-storey frontage and the three-storey screen wall behind. It is unknown whether these formed part of the bank premises but they have since been incorporated as part of its current commercial use (2025). Prior to its construction, the site of the bank, which is shown on the Perth Directory Town Plan of 1838, was occupied by older tenement buildings with a vennel and central courtyard.

The Central Bank of Scotland was established in Perth in 1834 to attract business from the farmers and landowners of the town's large rural hinterland in the southern Highlands. The bank engaged the noted Edinburgh architect David Rhind (1808-83) to design their head office on St John Street in 1846. Rhind was at that time completing the head office of the Commercial Bank of Scotland on George Street in Edinburgh (1843-7; listed category A, ref: LB28862) and would go on to design most of the branch offices of that bank. By the 1860s, the Central Bank was suffering financially and its business was eventually acquired by the Bank of Scotland in 1868, including the premises on St John Street.

The large rear extension was added in 1971 as an extension of the banking hall with plain classical interior detailing imitating the more elaborate decoration designed by Rhind. In 1990 the Bank of Scotland branch at 175 High Street was closed and merged with the branch on St John Street which in turn closed around 2004. The building was then refitted internally for commercial use but has been vacant since around 2020.

The bank is largely unaltered to the exterior with the exception of replacement doors, retail signage and two wall-mounted streetlights.

Statement of Special Interest

48 and 50 St John Street meets the criteria for listing for the following reasons:

• It is an outstanding example of a mid-19^th century bank building by one of Scotland's most important commercial architects of the period. The building was designed in an Italianate style and includes fine architectural detailing and stonework.
• The building's historic character has not been adversely affected by later alterations and extensions.
• The building retains its historic setting and forms part of a group of architecturally and historically significant buildings within the historic central area.
• It is an exceptional example within its common building type of purpose-built bank buildings.
• It is representative of the sophistication of regional bank branches in the 19^th century and of the national growth of centralised banks.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: flat-roofed 1970s extension to rear (east).

Architectural interest

The building was purpose-built in 1846 as a bank and is designed in an Italian palazzo style, which became widely adopted for banks and other commercial buildings by the late-19th century. The building retains much of its mid-19th century character, particularly to the elaborate principal (west) elevation, and includes fine architectural details such as the prominent cornice and balustraded parapet, the first-floor balcony and decorative window architraves. The survival of internal features like cornicing and coffered ceilings adds to the architectural interest and authenticity of the building.

David Rhind was one of Scotland's leading commercial architects in the 19th century, noted for his exuberant Italianate public buildings and emphasis on architecture sculpture. Around 20 of his bank buildings are listed mostly in the palazzo house style of the Commercial Bank of Scotland.

The building occupies a prominent position opposite St John's Kirk (category A: LB39300) in the centre of Perth. It is notable in the streetscape around the central square, which largely comprises plainer 18^th and 19^th century terraced buildings with ground-floor shops.

The bank was converted to retail use in the early-21^st century but overall retains a high degree of authenticity and historic character with many fine classical features surviving to both the interior and exterior. The 1971 extension is standard and has no special architectural or historic features of note to its exterior or interior.

Historic interest

Purpose-designed bank buildings dating from the mid-19^th century are not rare and can be found in towns and cities throughout Scotland. This is an exceptional example within this building type for its design quality and association with a prominent national architect, testifying to the scale and sophistication of regional bank branches across Scotland in this period. The relative lack of alteration adds to the rarity.

Originally built as the head office of a regional bank before being subsumed into the Bank of Scotland, the building is also of interest as an example of the growth and expansion of the larger national banks across Scotland in the course of the 19^th century.

There is no association with a person or event of national importance.

Statutory address updated in 2015. Previously listed as 'St John Street, (E.Side) 48, 50 Bank of Scotland Formerly Central Bank Building'.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2025. Previously listed as '48 and 50 St John Street, (east side), Perth (formerly Bank of Scotland and Central Bank Buildings)'.

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

Map