Description

Dated 1909. 2-storey Arts and Crafts style former Youth House, now private dwelling. Harled with predominantly ashlar sandstone dressings. Base course, some hoodmoulds.

N ELEVATION: off-centre wide round-arched keystoned and voussoired doorway. To right, 2-bay section with flat-roofed dormer above. To far right, advanced 2-bay gable with 1909 datestone. To left, advanced canted implied tower breaking eaves. Single bay section to outer left.

S ELEVATION: to left, large advanced single bay canted shaped gable with ball finials, 6-light window to ground, tripartite above. To right, 3-bay section now with central french window, pair of flat-roofed dormers above.

W ELEVATION: dominated by advanced canted implied tower breaking eaves with doorway in re-entrant angle.

E ELEVATION: near-blank elevation. Modern windows, predominantly modern roof tiles. Large stacks to N gable and S elevation. Smaller stack to E gable apex.

INTERIOR: almost entirely moderised due to fire damage (see Notes).

ANCILLARY STRUCTURE: to NE, single-storey canted tower with tripartite window with lower piended roof section to N. Red tile to tower, pantiles to lower section.

GATE PIERS AND BOUNDARY WALL: to N, roughly squared and snecked sandstone wall with flat coping with tall, deep round-arched pedestrian gateway with timber 2-leaf shaped gate forming circle with arch above. To far W square pier with ball finial. To E, low square harled gate piers.

Statement of Interest

Although there is as yet no documentary evidence it is likely that this building is the work of Paul Waterhouse (1861-1924). The former Youth House is a significant part of Strathkinness' social history. The Youth House was built by Mrs Younger of Mount Melville as a Women's and Girl's club with other local groups also using the building. Mr and Mrs Younger bought the Mount Melville estate in 1900 and commissioned Waterhouse to build their estate house (later it became Craigtoun Hospital). Waterhouse completed many other commissions for the Youngers and their ties were further cemented when a son of the Youngers married the elder daughter of the Waterhouses in 1921. Mrs Younger took a keen interest in the welfare of the inhabitants of nearby Strathkinness and also helped to fund building The Men's Club (which housed a library) in 1907 and the Nurse's House in 1926 which provided healthcare for locals for a modest fee.

In 1945 the Youth House was obtained for the County and was used by the County Youth Committee principally for residential groups. The building was substantially damaged by fire in 1976 (with up to half of the roof lost in the fire) and was later sold as a private dwelling. One of the two grass tennis courts built in the large terraced, sloping grounds remains.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77780805

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)