Description

Gabriel Andrew, dated 1889. 2-storey, 5-bay symmetrical collegiate gothic range with additional bay and octagonal angle turret at left. . Polished red Ballochmyle ashlar to principal elevations, white brick with red sandstone dressings to rear and left of College Wynd elevation. Buttressed between windows, corbelled parapet. Skew gabled with moulded skewputts.

W (PRINCIPAL, JOHN FINNIE STREET) ELEVATION: to centre and right, 5-bay section: painted central round-arched door. Ground floor bays divided by pilasters supporting console brackets. Stepped buttress-piers to the upper floor, with decorative gabled details below corbelled parapet, crowning gabled finials. Modern shopfronts in original haunched-headed openings to ground floor. Cornice and strings above. Cill course to tall upper, hoodmoulded, mullion and transomed, 3-light windows; central window 2-light with sculptured panel above, rising into gable head. To left bay and corner and right bay of left return: 3-light angle turret bay boldly canted above ground floor angle pedestal; bipartite window to adjoining bay in each 1st and 2nd floor return, gable breaking eaves above right window; turret rising to octagon above eaves line with narrow, blind, cusped slits set in panels below cornice and facetted and finialled slate roof.

N ELEVATION (COLLEGE WYND): canted to left, 4-storey, 2-bay brick section: door and window to ground floor, to upper floors left, single window, to ?-storeys of upper floors, single window. To right, gabled return of John Finnie Street elevation: narrow window to left of each floor, bipartite windows to upper floors forming return of angle turret to right.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: blind brick gable to right of rear, left of elevation concealed behind College Wynd.

S ELEVATION: adjoining 68-70 (evens) John Finnie Street.

2-pane timber sash and case windows to turreted bays and College Wynd elevation. Fixed windows to 5-bays of 1st floor: square quarry with detailed glass shield centres and coloured diamonds to angles. Later plate glass shop windows to ground floor. Piended grey slate roof, some metal flashing and valleys. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods, gutter concealed behind low parapet. Coursed red sandstone gablehead stack to N with projecting neck cope and 5 plain cans.

INTERIOR: ground floor currently in use as a modernised cafe bar; original central stair case still in existence, plaster cornicing to ceiling; upper floors: not seen, 2001.

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 or more, red sandstone building 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. The majority of this building was built to house the Oddfellows Hall for the Independent Order of Oddfellows. This was a benevolent institution organised on a system similar to the Masons. The Kilmarnock Lodge was founded in 1841 and by the 20th century had a membership of over 1200. The portion of the building to the left was built as Portland Estate offices. Latterly it was used by the Singer Sewing Machine Company and adjacent to it was William Watson, tailor. The ground floor is now used as the Havanna Cafe Bar.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17791592

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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