Description

James Hay, 1902; with circa 1935 shops, Alex Dunlop. 3-storey, 3-bay Glasgow Style tenement with pair of shops to ground floor, central residential entrance and bow windows. Red sandstone ashlar with polished dressings to principal elevation; yellow stock brick with red sandstone dressings to rear elevation; red brick stacks; faience tiles to later shop fronts. Skew gabled with plain squared putts.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: panelled door with rectangular fanlight above to central bay, 92 surmounting on tiled door surround, black to base, then white. Shop to flanks: to right, much later central inset door with plate glass window flanking, fascia to length of all. To left, timber and glazing shop door on right, plate glass window to left; R. STEWART in projecting letters on left of tiled fascia stretching length of both shops; terminating in moulded band course. To outer bays of 1st and 2nd floor, recessed bow windows with deep splayed reveals, delicate pilasters flanking; sill course extending length of bay, lintel course arching bow. To central bay of 1st floor, architraved window with projecting sill and moulded lintel, tram rosette adjacent to right. To central bay of 2nd floor, plain window with sill course extending to meet those on bow windows. Deep overhanging eaves.

N ELEVATION: adjoining much later 2-storey building to ground and 1st floor; blind brick gablehead rising above.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: rectangular with T-plan stairs and halls projecting to centre. Ground floor partially concealed by drying green wall but door to centre and window to outer bays. To 1st and 2nd floor: window to outer bays; smaller narrower window to inner stepped bays; to projecting central bay, stair window to ?-storeys with narrow window adjacent to left.

S ELEVATION: gable adjoining much taller, later, former fire station.

To principal elevation, mostly replacement PVCu windows of varying design to principal elevation. Timber sash and case windows to top right flat of original design with 8-pane upper sash and plate glass lower sash; some similar windows surviving to rear. Piended grey slate roof to principal elevation; piended slate roof to rear leading into catslide roof over central stepped staircase bay. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods being replaced piecemeal by plastic rainwater goods. Tall red brick gablehead stacks with thins stone neck copes and plain terracotta cans. Smaller roof stack with paired cans to centre of principal elevation.

INTERIOR: stone flagged close leading to central staircase, panelled timber door to rear leading to enclosed drying, green residential doors leading off upper landings. R Stewart's shop: interior with partial timber panelling and shelving, timber and glazing window fitment separating display from interior. Titchfield Barbers: later renovated shop.

Statement of Interest

Titchfield Street underwent considerable change in the late 19th - early 20th century. Larger 3-storey structures, usually shops with tenements above, replaced the smaller early 19th century houses that formerly lined the street. This street had been part of the main thoroughfare through the town that John Finnie Street was intended to replace. The grander formality of the latter street never achieved the popularity of this older street, which remained in retail and residential use. John Finnie Street became the preserve of the mercantile. The design of this tenement is by James Hay, an Edinburgh born and trained architect. He made his way to Kilmarnock in 1896 to become the assistant to Gabriel Andrew, a well-known and prolific local architect. Hay set up his own practice in 1898 at 9 John Dickie Street, although he is not listed in the local directories until 1901. Elements of his work still show the influence of Gabriel Andrew. The architect of the shop fronts was Alex Dunlop. He started his training with James Hay (architect of the building) before going to Glasgow to finish complete his studies under James Miller. The tiles that cover the exterior of the building appear to have been made locally. The factories of the Southhook Pottery and Shanks & Company at Longpark both made tiles, sanitary ware, bricks, and latterly more popular, faience. Few exteriors of this type still exist within Kilmarnock, Black's Bar in Wellington Street being the other facade of note. Listed as a good example of a well preserved early 20th century tenement with good 1930's treatments to the shopfronts, the tiles being local and now rare within the townscape.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77777733

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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