Description

James Smith, 1855 with addition of entrance tower, almost certainly by A N Paterson, 1923 further alteration 1933, Paterson. 2-storey and aprt basement, asymmetrical, rambling-plan, Scots Baronial and 17th century detailed house sited on falling ground. Grey harl with honey-coloured sandstone dressings and margins; base course; chamfered reveals; quoin strips; eaves band; crowstepped gables; principal floor windows with cornices.

NE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 4 asymmetrical bays, main block of house recessed to outer left and linked by single storey block to 1923 octagonal entrance tower set in re-entrant angle. 3 bays to outer right. 2-stage tower; ornate doorpiece of polished sandstone, fluted Ionic pilasters supporting broken swan-neck pediment; boarded and studded door. Decorative armorial plaque over door with date 1923; narrow flanking windows lighting vestibule, strapwork panels over lintel. Windows symmetrically disposed at 1st floor; moulded eaves

cornice; bell-cast slate roof with lead thistle finial. Crowstepped

gable to right, 1920s 5-light window at centre ground, sandstone mullions and transoms, ogeed half-piended lead roof; window to outer left at 1st floor. Pedimented dormerhead, now enlarged to door and reached via modern dog-leg, cast-iron forestair, at 1st floor right return. Narrow link-bay linking 2-bay battlemented block to outer right; windows symmetrically disposed but left window at ground obscured by modern fire escape, modern window inserted at centre. Blank, sandstone, pedimented plaque above at centre; pedimented windows at 1st floor on either side of corbelled wallhead stack.

SE ELEVATION: 2-storey block over raised basement of main house with link block and entrance tower recessed to outer right. Outer right bay with windows symmetrically disposed, pedimented dormerhead at 2nd floor. Advanced, crowstepped gabled bay to right with full- height tower in re-entrant angle. Pairs of windows symmetrically disposed at ground and principal floor of gable, single, pedimented window at gablehead, bracketted cill; curved balustrade and stone steps to garden

forming boundary between main block and entrance. Tower, windows symmetrically disposed at ground and 1st floor, pair of windows at 2nd floor; copper, rivetted conical roof, finial. Lean-to, single storey, link-block to right with parpet recessed to right attached to entrance tower.

SW ELEVATION: 4 bays. Slightly-advanced, crowstepped gabled block with bartizans to outer right; 2-storey, sandstone square bay with single window at 2nd floor; blank plaque at gablehead. 3 near-symmetrical bays to left, bartizan at left corner, centre bay raised to crowstepped gable, right and left bays with pedimented dormerheads. Tall prinicpal floor windows linked by full-length, heavily bracketted broad cill;

window at centre with sandstone mullions.

NW ELEVATION: 3 asymmetrical bays. Tall tower bay to outer left with eaves cornice and battlemented parapet; full-height, projecting quadripartite polished sandstone window; curved balustrade to area in front. Outer right bays 2-storey with basement on ground falling to S. Lower middle bay, window off-set to left, lean-to wooden porch to outer right at ground; corbelled, canted oriel at prinicpal floor; pedimented window at upper floor with small window to right. Slightly advanced,

crowstepped outer right gable; 2-storey canted bay window, single window at gablehead; bartizan to outer right, square bartizon with cruciform arrowslits, clasping left corner.

8-pane sash and case windows, 4-lying-pane sash and case windows;

2 over 4-pane sash and case windows for tower and upper windows of sea elevation. Grey slate roof; tall, shouldered and corniced wallhead and apex stacks.

INTERIOR: vestibule with polished sandstone arches; marble floor and skirting with red tiled floor; barrel-vaulted corridor leading from entrance tower to cloak room with 1920s wood panelling. Columned classical arch dividing hall. Stone stair with twisted timber balusters, now cut off from upper floor by new ceiling of upper flat; white- painted panelling; dining room with wooden door and picture rail; coved ceiling, inglenook to left of bay window, ashlar fireplace, wood panelling. White marble classical chimneypiece with figurative central panel.

BALUSTRADE: cast-iron rinceau balustrade with ashlar die and base bounds the SW side of the house. Curved balustrade with similar decoration in sandstone W and stone steps and dies located to E to E.

GATEPIERS AND GATE: sandstone piers, rounded, stop- chamfered arrises, corniced caps, ball finial. Paired piers to right marking pedestrian entrance. Decorative cast-iron gate, rinceau lower panel with fleur-de-lis headed railings.

Statement of Interest

Invergare, originally called Rowalyn, was built by the architect James Smith as his own house. He left the house in 1858 following the scandal surrounding his daughter Madeleine Smith who was accused of murder. The additions of the 1920s were carried out in a sympathetic manner almost certainly by the architect A N Paterson (see Longcroft Helensburgh), who was responsible for the alterations carried out in 1933 for J F Stephen. Carpeth, the former dower house of Invergare is

listed separately.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17774569

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)