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Latitude: 55.9471 / 55°56'49"N
Longitude: -3.2124 / 3°12'44"W
OS Eastings: 324377
OS Northings: 673338
OS Grid: NT243733
Mapcode National: GBR 8JH.SM
Mapcode Global: WH6SL.MSG7
Plus Code: 9C7RWQWQ+R2
Entry Name: Janitor's House, Torphichen Street School, 27 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh
Listing Name: Torphichen Street, Former Torphichen Street Education Centre, Including Janitor's House, Gates, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings
Listing Date: 5 February 1997
Category: B
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 390537
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB43888
Building Class: Cultural
Also known as: Edinburgh, 27 Torphichen Street, Torphichen Street School, Janitor's House
ID on this website: 200390537
Location: Edinburgh
County: Edinburgh
Town: Edinburgh
Electoral Ward: City Centre
Traditional County: Midlothian
Tagged with: Building
Robert Wilson, 1887. 2-storey symmetrical school in classical style on corner site. Cream sandstone polished ashlar to principal elevation; squared and snecked rubble to sides and rear. Base course; dividing band course; consoled cornice and blocking course; architraved windows.
S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: central advanced 3-storey, 3-bay pedimented block (2nd floor windows partially in-filled) flanked by engaged polygonal towers with pilastered and domed cupolas. 2-storey, 3-bay wings flanking. Lower 2-storey, 2-bay wings recessed to outer left and right; round-arched doorways with square-columned pedimented doorpieces in penultimate bays; corniced and architraved doorways in outer bays.
E ELEVATION: asymmetrical; ashlar bay to left with windows off-centre to right of ground and 1st floors; single storey wing adjoining to outer right, window to left; 2-storey wing to far right.
N ELEVATION: not seen 2000.
W ELEVATION: asymmetrical; ashlar bay to right with windows off-centre to left of ground and 1st floors; single storey canted wing advanced to outer left, regular fenestration; 2-storey wing to far left.
15-pane timber sash and case windows (6-pane upper sashes, 9-pane lower sashes). Grey slate piended roof; polygonal roof ventilators with swept caps. Cast-iron rainwater goods.
INTERIOR: not seen 1997.
JANITOR'S HOUSE: 2-storey, 3-bay, symmetrical rectangular-plan classical house adjoining No 25 Torphichen Street. Base, band and cill courses; cornice. E (entrance) elevation: recessed central bay; tripartite doorway; panelled door; fanlight; single window above and in bays to outer left and right. S (Torphichen Street) elevation: single bay; single windows to both floors.
GATES, GATEPIERS, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: plain iron railing gates; corniced pedestrian gatepiers.
Wilson, as architect to the Edinburgh School Board, designed numerous other schools including Milton House (1886), Marchmont Road (1882), Sciennes (1889), South Morningside (1891), Castlehill (1896), and North Canongate Infant (1900). Torphichen Street School was planned as a combined infant and juvenile school with two classroom blocks (N and S) linked by a central stair hall. Internally the building was divided at the ground floor with girls to E and boys to W; and at the 1st floor, boys to E and girls to W. The S block at the front of the site was angled to turn the corner from Torphichen Street to Canning Street. Apart from careful planning to fit the existing street plan, Torphichen Street School was also proportioned and detailed in sympathy with the neighbouring earlier 19th century tenements.
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