Description

William McGowan, 1841-2, remodelled and extended by William Moir, 1888. 4-bay, 2-storey and basement, roughly square-plan villa with slightly projecting wings, canted windows, piended roof and handsome balustraded porch with arched entrance. Well-preserved, high quality interior. Red sandstone ashlar with polished ashlar dressings. Ground floor cill course, eaves cornice, blocking course. Irregular fenestration of single, bipartite and tripartite windows with stone mullions and some transoms; corniced window margins at ground and first floor.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: stepped 4-bay façade to entrance (E) elevation: slightly advanced central bay with large tripartite window at ground; balustraded entrance porch advanced from re-entrant angle to left with pilastered arched entrance and pierced balustrade with urn corner finials; recessed bays to outer left and right. Regularly fenestrated 3-bay elevation to S with large 4-light canted window running through all floors to right. 4-bay irregularly fenestrated elevation to N: advanced bay to right with large tripartite at ground with scrolled pediment; stair window to right of centre. Regular fenestration to 4-bay rear (W) elevation; advanced 2-bay section to left.

Plate glass in timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: excellent late 19th century interior with high quality joinery. 2-leaf timber panelled storm door in porch; half-glazed timber panelled inner door with bevelled glass; encaustic tiles to porch with RC monogram in quatrefoil motifs. Large entrance hall with ¾ height timber panelling; decoratively carved depressed-arch screen with stained glass to tympanum separating inner and outer hall; decoratively carved timber chimney piece with scroll-pedimented carved overmantel; decorative plasterwork to ceiling; timber staircase with turned balusters and carved newel post. Ornate carved timber chimney pieces to principal ground floor rooms with tiled insets and 2 with cast-iron grate doors; decorative plasterwork to ceilings; half panelling to some ground floor rooms. Chimneypieces and roll moulded cornicing to first floor bedrooms. Fine Art Deco Bathroom at 1st floor with original lino; green basin and bath; shower; towel rail; green tiles with cream and black border; stepped mirror; 3 hooks on door.

BALUSTRADE: pierced ashlar balustrade extending N from entrance (E) elevation.

Statement of Interest

Originally called Crichton House and built as the superintendent's house for the Crichton Royal Hospital. The villa is somewhat plain on the outside, but is distinguished by its handsome interior with fine late 19th century joinery and Art Deco bathroom.

Campbell House was built between 1841 and 1842 by the local architect William McGowan at a cost of £1384, for Dr Brown, the superintendent of the Crichton Hospital. Although elevational drawings of the original house no longer exist in the archives, an 'as existing' floor plan was drawn up at the time of the 1888 alterations. The original house is in the rear (west) half of the present building. Drawings of this building by patients at the hospital are held in the archive and give some indication of its original appearance.

In 1888 the house was extended for Dr Rutherford, doubling its size. Floor plans for these alterations are in the Crichton archive, but do not exactly correspond to the present arrangement, and so were presumably altered before execution. Judging from the window openings given on the 'as existing' floor plan, it appears that the original fabric was remodelled to a certain extent, as some windows have increased in size. Nothing is currently known about the architect William Moir; it is likely that he was the brother of John Moir, who was Clerk of Works at the Crichton from 1883-1887.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77780564

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)