Description

James Gillespie & Scott, 1899. 2-storey, now 6-bay rectangular plan Boys' Brigade Hall with sympathetic addition to caretaker's rooms by J C Cunningham, 1947-48. Polychrome brick. Stylised gun loop effect band course, cill band and lintel band, sandstone keystones and voussoir banding, pilasters dividing bays. Applied timber framing to gableheads.

NORTH (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: principal bays grouped 2/2 under linked gables to centre and left. Bowed porch projecting to left of centre with round-arched doorway with decorated voussoir with anchor motif and motto (see notes).

St Andrews Boys Brigade Hall lettering below blocking course. Glazed multi-pane 2-leaf vestibule doors. Large round-arched window to 1st floor above. Outer bay to left 4 small windows to lavatory at ground; right with secondary door flanked by windows and three windows. 1st floor with windows detailed as entrance bay. Outer bays to right, single-storey penultimate bay with bi-partite window and outer bay (Cunningham addition) with further door. Flat-roofed bi-partite dormers above. Secondary doors with 2-pane fanlights.

EAST ELEVATION: 4 bay, bays divided by pilasters, entrance door to centre.

SOUTH ELEVATION: 5 bay with mansard extending down over 1st floor to centre bay, entrances to outer bays, small windows to ground. Further large round-arched windows to outer bays at 1st floor.

WEST ELEVATION: bays divided by butresses with semi-circular clay caps, regular windows at ground, large arched windows above as principal elevation.

Decorative timber multi-pane glazing pattern to round-arched windows with casement windows to centre flanked by small panes over square panes. Regular timber windows, plate glass lower with top-hoppers. Graded grey slate gambrel roof with multi-pane glazing to gableheads. Red tile hanging to mansard at rear with roof lights. Flashing with capped ventilator. Flagpole on right of entrance porch.

INTERIOR: predominantly original decorative scheme in place. Open Queen post roof with metal beams to large drill hall. Later elevated platform to west. Glazed-in gallery to south. Timber floor.

WAR MEMORIAL 1939-45, wainscotted and pedimented tripartite recess with multi-paned sidelights and dedicatory panel to centre. Further rooms to south and on 1st floor. Predominantly 4-panelled timber doors with original handles.

GATES AND BOUNDARY RAILINGS: plain wrought iron railings enclose site. Slender metal polygonal gate posts to east and south-east with decortative finials, both vehicular.

Statement of Interest

A good example of the work of local architects Gillespie & Scott. A rare example of the use of brick by the practicem the striking polychrome design with its wide-gabled principal elevation with distinctive semicircular first floor windows is notable. The bespoke glazing pattern to these windows is of particular interest.

Boys Brigade Companies usually used church halls or other available rooms to meet. The St Andrews Company was not allied to any particular church and was known as a 'Town Company'. Purpose-built Boys Brigade Halls, such as this one, are rare and the St Andrews building is a fine example of its type.

The Boys' Brigade was founded in Glasgow by William Alexander Smith (1854-1914) on 4th October 1883. The first voluntary uniformed youth organisation, its object was 'the advancement of Christ's Kingdom among Boys and the promotion of habits of Reverence, Discipline, Self-respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness' [J Springhall Sure and Stedfast A History of the Boys' Brigade 1883-1983 (1983) p39]. Companies were connected to a church or other religious body and were thought to be a way of retaining a Sunday School child within the church. In the period 1883-1888 206 companies were founded & the movement rapidly spread worldwide. The Brigade's badge is an anchor and their motto is 'Sure and Stedfast' although the St Andrews Company's is notably mis-spelt on the porch to the less biblical 'Steadfast'. The movement is now in decline. The St Andrews Company was founded in 1884. J Springhall writes, 'The magnificent premises of the 1st St Andrews Company provided a workshop, reading room, and recreation room open each week from 6.30pm to 9pm.'(p58). Decorative fleche to centre of roof missing.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17804337

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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