Description

James McLachlan, dated 1917. Classical style miners' institute, with Palladian arrangement 2-storey, 3-bay hall linked by quadrant portico to single storey, pavilion wings. Rendered with red polished sandstone ashlar dressings; base course; Doric columns to portico; keystones to 1st floor openings; raised cills to windows; entablature to portico; raised corniced name and date tablet to centre with carved decorative details; string course to central block; eaves cornice; stylised banded quoins to centre block; channelled quoins to pavilions.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: advanced, quadrant portico with paired columns to centre and single outer columns; 3 segmental-arched and keystoned doorways flanked by banded columns set behind; architraved timber panelled 2-leaf doors with small-pane glazing to upper panels; clock to centre of floor above flanked by pairs of single windows. Window with moulded surround in bay to outer left of quadrant wall. 3-bay pavilion wings: full-height round-arched window in bay to centre with flanking pilasters breaking eaves in piend-roofed dormerhead; keystoned single windows flanking.

(SE) REAR ELEVATION: symmetrical, 4-bay central block; a pair of small windows with larger window to outside at ground in bays to left and right of centre; window to each floor in bays to outer left and right. Pavilion return set back to outer right; wide chimney breast to centre; window at each floor to left; window at 1st floor to outer left.

Rendered infill with irregular fenestration in return angle to left.

(NE) SIDE ELEVATION: 4-bay block with 3-bay block set back to left. Keystone arch to centre; 2-storey bay to left with flanking, full- height pilasters; timber panelled door and flanking window to ground;

2 windows at 1st floor above. 2 windows in bay to right. Round-arched doorway in bay to centre of left block; timber panelled door with fanlight above; window at 1st floor above. Window at each floor in bays to left and right. 6- and 8-pane timber sash and case windows (some boarded); 25-pane fixed windows with semicircular lights above to pavilion; 12-pane timber sash and case windows to rear. Grey slate gambrel roof to centre block; piended roof to pavilions and dormers swept at eaves; rendered, ashlar coped stack to left wing; cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: fire-damaged (1996); main hall subdivided by insertion of new floor; architraved and corniced doorways; timber panelled stage; panelled walls; plain cornices to pavilions; main hall roof structure not seen (1996).

BOUNDARY WALLS: low sandstone rubble with curved ashlar cope; wrought iron railings and decorative gates.

Statement of Interest

Built for the Lothian Coal Company. An unusual example of domestic Palladian arrangement applied to a public building. The Institute was built on an impressive scale with finely detailed sandstone dressings and features, of particular rarity during the wartime years.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17828035

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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