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Stromness Public Library, 2 Hellihole Road, Stromness

A Category C Listed Building in Stromness, Orkney Islands

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Coordinates

Latitude: 58.9595 / 58°57'34"N

Longitude: -3.301 / 3°18'3"W

OS Eastings: 325266

OS Northings: 1008756

OS Grid: HY252087

Mapcode National: GBR L561.QL1

Mapcode Global: WH6B1.82BF

Plus Code: 9CCRXM5X+QH

Entry Name: Stromness Public Library, 2 Hellihole Road, Stromness

Listing Name: 2 Hellihole Road, Stromness Public Library

Listing Date: 24 March 1998

Category: C

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 392274

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB45399

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200392274

Location: Stromness

County: Orkney Islands

Town: Stromness

Electoral Ward: Stromness and South Isles

Traditional County: Orkney

Tagged with: Library building

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Description

Dated 1905. 2-storey, 3-bay symmetrical plain rectangular-plan library with Tudor-gothic details; gabletted 1st floor windows; built on ground rising to W. Harled with polished sandstone ashlar dressings. Hood moulds over windows; stone mullions and cills; ball-finialled gablets.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: stone step to 2-leaf, architraved timber panelled door with rectangular fanlight at ground in bay to centre; part-glazed timber panelled 2-leaf vestibule doors; window, hugging eaves, at 1st floor above. Bipartite window at each floor in each bay flanking.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: 2-bay, gabled wall. Window at each floor in each bay. Consoled commemorative plaque set between 1st floor windows, beneath corbelled stack to gable.

2-pane timber sash and case windows with stained glass small-pane top lights. Grey slate roof; decorative pierced red clay ridge; red clay finials; concrete skews; harled, coped gablehead stacks to E and W; cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative brackets and hoppers.

INTERIOR: open-plan interior at ground with timber reception desk to centre; boarded dado in entrance hall and up stairs; turned timber newel posts with large ball finials; turned timber banisters; timber handrails; architraved timber panelled doors; converted as art gallery at 1st floor; cornices and timber skirting boards extant throughout.

Statement of Interest

The commemorative plaque to the W gable is inscribed, "STROMNESS PUBLIC LIBRARY, THE GIFT OF THE LATE MARJORY SKEA, OR CORRIGAL, STROMNESS, 1905". Around 1820 a public library was first established in Stromness and was kept up by subscriptions of 7s. annually. It was then taken over by the Town Council, under the Libraries Act and, through a legacy from Mrs Skea, the present building was erected.

External Links

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