Description

1889. 2-storey, 3-bay, rectangular-plan Italianate villa. Barge boarded overhanging eaves with exposed rafters. Squared and snecked sandstone with ashlar margins. Base course, continuous eaves height course. Stone mullioned windows, flat-arched openings at ground, round arched openings at 1st floor; corbelled projecting cills and shouldered architrave. Decorative bargeboards with fretwork detailing.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: steps to panelled door to centre with letterbox fanlight; 3-light window to left, consoled canopy; advanced 3-light canted bay to right, moulded parapet. Blocked margin to central 1st floor oculi, large semicircular-arched window to left to gablet dormer breaking eaves; 3-light semicircular-arched window with doric colonettes mullions and moulded voussoirs to gabled bay to right.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: irregular fenestration; semicircular-arched stair window within broad gable breaking eaves to centre. Advanced single storey, gabled bay to centre left.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: 2 windows at ground floor, window at 1st to right.

W (SIDE) ELEVATION: 2 windows at 1st floor

INTERIOR: (seen 2010) elaborately detailed cornicing to principal rooms; moulded cornining to hall. Window shutters. Timber staircase with finely detailed cast-iron balustrade and timber handrail. Tiled floor to porch

Plate glass, timber-framed sash and case windows, leaded upper panes to principal elevation. Grey slates, lead flashing. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Coped ridge stacks with clay circular cans.

BOUNDARY WALL: low, saddle-back coped wall. Square-plan gate-piers with jettied pyramidal caps and iron gates with inscription 'FLOWERHILL MANSE'

Statement of Interest

Flowerhill Manse is little-altered late 19th century Italianate villa, that is representative of the expansion of Airdrie following the establishment of the coal mining in the Monklands area. The building exhibits good stonework and architectural details such as the corbelled projected cills, consoled canopy, doric colonettes mullions, voussoirs and decorative bargeboarding. The original setting of the building has been retained, prominently located on a corner site and therefore making an important contribution to the streetscape.

Airdrie began as a community of handloom weavers which expanded rapidly during the early to mid nineteenth century due to the mining of coal in the Monklands area and its associated industries such as iron foundries and engineering works. The expansion of industry led to improved transport links with Glasgow and Edinburgh such as the Monkland Canal and the Airdrie and Bathgate Junction Railway, which led to the extension of Airdrie in a southerly direction, from the 1850s. Due its slightly higher altitude to the neighbouring Coatbridge, wealthier families constructed their villas in Airdrie to escape the smoke and dust of industry. Victoria Place is characteristic of this expansion. Although laid out in the mid nineteeth century, villas on the south side of the street were not constructed until the late 19th century, with the north side villas following shortly after.

Originally known as Merrillville, the villa was constructed for the the Benson family. In May 1956 Mrs Benson and her family Mrs Helen Mack and Mr JR Benson donated the house to be used as a manse for Flowerhill Parish Chruch. The original manse (see separate listing) had become inadequate for accommodation and required substantial repair.

List description updated 2010.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77777278

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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