Description

Early 19th century. 2-storey, 11-bay, terrace of classical houses, with later additions to rear forming near square-plan block. Painted harl; ashlar dressings. Squared and snecked sandstone; red sandstone ashlar dressings to extension on Hailes Street elevation. Architraved windows; projecting cills.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 2 3-bay houses flank central 5-bay house. Doorpiece to central 5-bay; recessed 2-leaf panelled timber entrance door; single windows flanking; tripartite window at 1st floor; raised wallhead; single windows to 2 bays flanking. Pilastered doorpieces to bays to outer left and right; panelled timber doors; flanking single windows; regular fenestration at 1st floor; central 1st floor window to outer left extended.

E (HAILES STREET) ELEVATION: M-gabled. Plain gabled section of original building to outer right. Adjoining 5-bay gabled extension dated 1911. Segmental-arched doorway at central bay; hood mould; 2-leaf boarded door; flanking channelled giant pilasters rising above roofline; dentilled cornice; corniced castellation; recessed blind panels to flanking bays; banded eaves course; blind arrow slits to outer bays; dentilled to castellated cornice; flanking channelled giant pilasters.

12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate piended roof with skylights. Coped wallhead, and mutual stacks with corniced cans. Skews.

INTERIOR: not seen 1997.

BOUNDARY WALLS: Coped, coursed rubble boundary walls to street; modern railings.

Statement of Interest

33 Gilmore Place is the former residence of the African American author and freedom fighter, Frederick Douglass (1818-1895). Born into chattel slavery in Maryland, USA, Douglass escaped in 1838 and went on to become a world-renowned author, public speaker, activist and statesman as he worked alongside his family members not only to end slavery, but support all campaigns for human rights and social justice. He came to Edinburgh in 1846, and it was at 33 Gilmore Place where he once lived as Scotland's anti-slavery agent, organising campaigns and corresponding with abolitionists. In 2018, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, Frederick Douglass was the first black person recognised through the Historic Environment Scotland Commemorative Plaque scheme.

Statement of Special Interest revised in 2019

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56631925

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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