Carnegie Library And Museum, 112 And 114 High Street, Kinross, Kinross, Perth and Kinross

Entry Name: Carnegie Library And Museum, 112 And 114 High Street, Kinross

Listing Name: 112 High Street, Carnegie Public Library

Listing Date: 10 June 2002

Category: C

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 396051

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB48649

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200396051

Location: Kinross

County: Perth and Kinross

Town: Kinross

Electoral Ward: Kinross-shire

Traditional County: Kinross-shire

Tagged with: Library building

Description

Peter L Henderson, Edinburgh, dated 1905; with Mr Brown, Inspector of Works. 2-storey, 3-bay plain Baronial library with crenellated tower-like entrance and crowstepped gables, closing irregular but significant terrace. Sandstone ashlar to principal elevation with narrow stugged ashlar bands; squared and snecked rubble to sides, polished margins. Raised base course forming ground floor cill course; moulded corniced eaves course to right (N). Stepped moulded hood-moulds at ground floor, that to left roll-moulded and forming break in building line. Advanced cills at first floor, crowstepped gables and crenellated tower parapet. Tri-partite ground stone transomed and mullioned windows at ground floor.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: slightly advanced centre bay incorporating deep-set 2-leaf panelled timber door with hoodmould and label stops enclosing relief-carved panel 'A 1905 D' and roll-moulded arris. Single window above giving way to panel with relief lettering reading: 'CARNEGIE PUBLIC LIBRARY' battlemented parapet over. Gabled bay to left of centre with mullioned and transomed tripartite window at ground, inscribed panel to left worded 'TO THE CITIZENS OF KINROSS, MILNATHORT, KELTY IN GRATITUDE FOR THE HOSPITALITY RECEIVED BY POLISH TANK TRAINING CENTRE 1942-1948', bipartite window to 1st floor; similarly-fenestrated bay to right with 1st floor window breaking eaves into crowstepped pediment.

N ELEVATION: gabled elevation with 4-light transomed window at ground and bipartite above, small flat-roofed porch addition in re-entrant angle to right, adjoining Town Hall (see separate listing).

S ELEVATION: bays grouped to left with boarded timber door and multi-pane fanlight flanked by bipartite to left and horizontal tripartite to right; 1st floor with bipartite breaking eaves into catslide dormer and 2 small windows to right.

INTERIOR: now (2010) largely ruinous but with some evidence of dogtooth cornicing. Former billiard hall at rear retains hammerbeam-type roof, large stone corbels and decorative cast iron roof ventilators.

Plate glass glazing in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates. Coped

shouldered ashlar stacks with cans. Square section cast-iron downpipes with decorative fixings.

Statement of Interest

The Carnegie Library is part of a B group with the Clock Tower, former Town Hall and Post Office (see separate listings) which represent the former civic centre of Kinross Burgh The Carnegie Library is prominently set within the heart of the civic centre of Kinross, with fine stonework and good architectural detailing making a significant contribution to the streetscape of the burgh. It links internally with the former Town Hall (see seperetae listing) and concludes a short terrace of buildings at the civic heart of the town, which also includes the former Post Office, 18th century Clock Tower and Fountain (see sepereate listings).

Perhaps better known for his brewery and bar designs, the Peter L Henderson was based at 122 George Street, Edinburgh when commissioned to design the Kinross Carnegie Library. The original 'Tradesman's Library' dated from 1825, but with the adoption of the Libraries Act by Kinross Burgh Council, they were in a position to apply to Dr Carnegie for a donation. The sum awarded, £1800, was to cover the cost of 'Library, Museum and Recreation Room'. The memorial stone was laid by Sir Basil Montgomery and the ceremony reported in a newspaper article appended to the Library Committee Meeting Minutes of 3rd July, 1905. The building stands within an Outstanding Conservation Area, and adjoins the municipal terrace comprising Clock Tower, Town Hall and Old Post Office (see separate listings) .

List description revised 2010.

External Links

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