Council Chambers, John Finnie Street, Kilmarnock, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire

Description

James Montgomery Pearson, 1903 - 1905. Large Free Renaissance commercial block with 3-storey, 3-bay symmetrical front to John Finnie Street with curved angle bays leading to returns on John Dickie Street and College Wynd. Polished red sandstone ashlar with channelled piers to ground floor; giant angle pilasters divide upper bays. Windows, some with carved panels above and below, divided by pilasters above ground floor. Scrolled curved pediments at angles and central pediment, all above broad decorative friezes and linked by balustrades.

W (PRINCIPAL, JOHN FINNIE STREET) ELEVATION: curved angle bay to left: arched door surround with rusticated voussoirs and enlarged keystone; carved figure and scroll detail in each spandrel supporting decorated frieze; tripartite window to 1st floor; band course with triangular detail to centre; tripartite window to 2nd floor; scrolled curved segmental headed pediment with stone finial surmounting. Similar angle bay to right with arched window replacing door. 3 central bays: bipartite window to each at ground floor; to 1st floor, bipartite windows to outer bays with tripartite window to centre; identical fenestration to 2nd floor with arch detail to central bay, leading into decorative frieze and triangular pediment.

S (COLLEGE WYND) ELEVATION: bipartite window to ground floor left, 3 small square high windows to right; cornice. Tripartite window to 1st and 2nd floor, balustraded parapet linking flanking angle pilasters. Single plainer bay adjoining to right with door to ground floor and window to 1st floor; brick right return with regularly placed windows. L-plan elevation of adjacent offices to far right.

E (REAR, LOW CHURCH LANE) ELEVATION: arched angle bay to right (see W ELEVATION for details); to centre, 2 large altered bays to ground floor, rusticated pilasters with carved heads dividing, cornice. Paired windows to 1st & 2nd floor. To left, door with smaller higher window to left; to 1st and 2nd floors, window to left, narrower one to right; enclosed parapet surmounting. Additional former 2-storey, now 3-storey, 7-bay building to far left.

N (JOHN DICKIE STREET) ELEVATION: two 3-storey, stepped blocks of 7-bays to left and 2-bays to right. To right block: tripartite window to left, paired bipartite windows to right. Bipartite window to left on upper floors, tripartite windows to right on upper floors with architraved surround to 2nd floor. To left block: to slightly advanced 5th bay, arched door surround with rusticated voussoirs and enlarged keystone, segmental pediment surmounting; bipartite windows above to 1st & 2nd floors with triangular pediment surmounting. Tripartite window to 6th and 7th bay; elongated windows spanning 1st and 2nd floors above. To left of door, 4 regular bays to ground floor, matching bipartite windows to 1st and 2nd floors. Curved angle bay to far right and left (see W ELEVATION for details). Balustraded parapet spanning all, finial surmounting pilaster plinths.

2-pane timber sash and case windows with horned upper sashes. Some plate glass windows to ground floor windows with 3-pane upper lights to John Dickie Street elevation, fixed arched lights to some doors. Piended grey slate roof concealed behind parapet.

INTERIOR: currently in use as council offices, some modernisation has occurred; some original features survive, plaster cornicing, staircase and internal doors.

Statement of Interest

Part of the John Finnie Street A-Group. John Finnie Street is nearly ? mile long and was built around 1864. It provided a grand thoroughfare for the town with the focal point to the north being the railway station. Business and commerce spread to this street and rows of high quality, 3-storey, red sandstone buildings were constructed. The ground floors were given over to retail, offices and accommodation were above. The street dominated the lower, narrower streets in Kilmarnock that were filled with traditional buildings. The street's architect was William Railton, who went on to design the Kilmarnock Infirmary (now demolished) and the surveyor was Robert Blackwood. This building is a block overlooking both John Finnie Street and to the rear the Laigh Kirk. The architect of was James Montgomery Pearson of 51 John Finnie Street. This building was originally called the Wallace Chambers and was built for Messrs William Wallace & Co. In 1790 William Wallace founded a distillery company in Kilmarnock called Wallace Company. The main site of the company was on Low Glencairn Street, although these offices were built in the town centre on John Finnie Street. In the 1920s, Wallace Company was taken over by Johnnie Walker's who had substantial property in the adjacent Dunlop and Strand Street. The building has since been taken over by the East Ayrshire Council and is currently used as offices. An additional building in Low Church Lane has been heightened and is also used by the council.

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