Description

W J Anderson, dated 1891. Asymmetric 2-storey and basement L-plan villa with renaissance detailing. Squared and snecked bull-faced sandstone with red ashlar dressings. Squared and snecked bull-faced red sandstone to base course. Cill courses, some stone transoms to windows, moulded openings, circular shallow-domed turret to SW, overhanging eaves.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: to left, 5-light balustraded canted bay window at ground, tripartite window above with central opening lengthened to form door. To right, 2-bay section and 2-storey turret with 5-light window to ground floor. At eaves, triglyph frieze and cast-iron weathervane above with pierced lettering, 'DM 1891'. To far right, recessed red sandstone ashlar pilastered piend-roofed entrance porch with round arch.

Variety of glazing, predominantly timber sash and case, some with horns. Plate glass to W elevation. Graded grey slates.

INTERIOR: good. Some painted glass, leaded panes. Drawing room and dining room have upper sashes with leaded panes in interlace pattern. Drawing room with classical chimneypiece with columned overmantle and fixed pair of flanking display cases with glazed bow fronts with margined panes. Jacobethan ceiling and stylised flora frieze. Dado height timber panelling to dining room and timber overmantle with inset canted dislay cabinet all set within large round arched opening. Timber staircase with tall metal lamps at newel posts. 1st floor billiard room with round arched entrance with timber door with sidelights, the upper parts with leaded panes with painted glass scenes. Open timber ceiling. Moulded granite chimneypiece. 1st floor intact Art Deco bathroom. Pale green and black tiled walls with linoleum floor with central deco motif. Etched glass mirrors, 1 round, 1 rectangular. Salmon pink suite.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: to W, stepped squared and snecked bull-faced sandstone wall with flat coping. To SW, pair of massive squared and snecked bull-faced gatepiers, splayed red sandstone to bottom half. Rounded caps inscribed, 'BALMORY'.

Statement of Interest

One of only a handful of buildings designed by William James Anderson (1863-1900) and his only family house commission listed in Glasgow. Built for David Mason, mantel maker, who became Lord Provost of Glasgow and whose portrait hangs in the City Chambers.

Anderson was a pupil of James Gillespie of St Andrews and also trained with Rowand Anderson and Washington Browne as well as Lennox Watson and Leiper. He won the inaugural Alexander Thomson Travelling Scholarship and travelled extensively in Italy during 1888. In 1890 he was President of the Glasgow Architectural Association and he was appointed Director of the Architectural Department at Glasgow School of Art in 1894. Anderson suffered a breakdown following the collapse of a floor at Napier House (638-646 Govan Road, see separate listing) which resulted in the death of 5 workmen. The building was of an innovative unreinforced concrete construction and although Anderson was proved blameless, he later committed suicide at Gartnavel Royal Lunatic Asylum.

The classical detailing at Balmory may have been inspired by Anderson's trip to Italy and it seems certain that at the time of his death he was moving away from traditional building styles and embracing pioneering techniques. Balmory is a very rare work by one of Glasgow's most promising architects.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17813695

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)