Description

Gillespie & Scott, 1908. Large asymmetrical 2-storey and attic Arts and Crafts villa discreetly sited along Hepburn Gardens with distinctive circular-plan 3-stage tower, turret with candlesnuffer roof and crowstepped gables. Harl with stone cills.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: SE (garden) elevation; near central 3-stage tower with pedimented moulded doorpiece with decoratively part-glazed timber door. Tower terminates with corbel course and parapet. 2-stage turret adjoins tower, timber door gives access to tower parapet. To left recessed single bay with 1st floor window breaking eaves. To right symmetrical 2-bay projecting crowstepped gabled wing with apex stack.

NW (Hepburn Gardens) elevation; comprises central 3-light stair window with stone mullions and transoms; small box dormer above. To right, crowstepped gabled bay with flat roofed buttressed entrance porch with 9-panel timber door. To left, projecting single storey gabled bay.

Predominantly plate glass timber sash and case windows with horns. Graded grey slates. Variety of tall ridge and gable stacks with cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: fine interior with many original features including timber panelling and fireplaces to some ground floor rooms. Fine moulded cornices to principal rooms. 3-light multi-pane fine stained glass curved window flanked by Doric columns separating hall from vestibule. Central hall with Doric columns and pilasters. Dogleg staircase to 1st floor. Boarded timber stairwell to turret.

Statement of Interest

Century House is a fine example of an Arts and Crafts villa. Designed by respected local architects Gillespie & Scott, Century House is a distinctive composition with a circular 3-stage tower and adjoining candlesnuffer roofed turret. It remains little altered externally and has a number of fine internal features. Century House is unusual along the Hepburn Gardens as it is set back a distance from the road, but like many it has its principal rooms facing towards the picturesque Lade Braes.

The use of tower, turret and crowstepped gables are reminiscent of Scots Renaissance architecture and are a distinctive interpretation of the Arts and Crafts style. Here, Gillespie & Scott have used historical Scottish references to add authenticity to their design rather than the more usual multi-gabled overhanging eaves aesthetic.

Century House was built for Mr J L MacPherson as inscribed on the plans dated 1908 from the archive of Gillespie and Scott (University of St Andrews Library). Initially called Newmill, this subsequently changed to Century House, 100 Hepburn Gardens. A later villa built on the grounds now has the name Newmill.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77780288

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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