History of the House
The ‘Old House’, as it was called in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is perhaps one of the finest and most important historic buildings still standing in Dumfries today.
The date of construction of the buildings on the site is not known at the time of writing, but is understood to be the early 1700s at the latest. The present ‘tenement’, i.e., the main house above on Irish Street, is said to have been built by a William Carruthers, Esq. Of Dormont (1), on the site of a yard purchased from Margaret Crosbie and barns purchased from Robert Corsan of Meikle Knox. It is a possibility that the large barrel-vaulted space facing the courtyard, used historically for some time as a Bonded Warehouse, is of an earlier date than the Queen Anne (2) house (now 29 Irish Street) erected on top of it.
The low-level courtyard ranges may have been 18th or 19th century reconstructions of earlier buildings on the site. They were largely reconstructed again in 1924 by Bowie (see below). 92 Whitesands forms part of a series of buildings along this section of the river frontage known, before the Council demolished the majority of them in the 20th century, as Waterloo Place. The property – both the house itself above with its garden frontage on Irish Street, and the vaulted warehouse and courtyard ranges at the lower level on the Whitesands – was for a long time in the ownership of the Gilchrist family, later Gilchrist Clark, of Speddoch (3). Having served the purpose, historically, of a Bonded Warehouse, the large and impressive barrel-vaulted space facing onto the courtyard was still in this use in 1880, tenanted by James Foster, Spirit Dealer. From 1897, the premises on the Whitesands were used as a factory, workshop and Cycle Depot by the Kirkpatrick family (famous for having invented an early form of the modern bicycle at the Smithy at Keir) until 1923, when the warehouse, offices and courtyard on the Whitesands were taken over by the Trustees of the Dumfries and Maxwelltown Working Girls’ Social Club, who had acquired all of the property, and had occupied the adjoining house for the previous two years. In the same year, 1923, the architect JM Bowie of the practice of Barbour and Bowie was appointed to carry out extensive alterations to the buildings for the Trustees of the club.
The warehouse was converted to use as a recreation hall, for dances and sporting activities; and the premises were in use as part of the Girls Club, and later as a youth club, until their acquisition by Dumfries and Galloway Council, when they were used until recently for similar purposes (nursery school, play groups, adult education centre, and youth and community activities). In 1924, an elegant stone fore-stair, rising from either side of and arching over the central entrance to the Bonded Warehouse, was removed (4). There are still traces of the original stair nosings on the margins of the existing windows to the vaulted basement warehouse. This stair was replaced with a large gabled sandstone ‘porch’ containing a new internal stair connecting the warehouse with the main house over it, as part of a series of alterations to convert the stables and warehouse premises (92 Whitesands) and the large house above (29 Irish Street) into the new Girls’ Club.
Click here to see the archive film of the Opening of the Girls' Club from the British Film Institute's archives.
The ‘Old House’, as it was called in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is perhaps one of the finest and most important historic buildings still standing in Dumfries today.
The date of construction of the buildings on the site is not known at the time of writing, but is understood to be the early 1700s at the latest. The present ‘tenement’, i.e., the main house above on Irish Street, is said to have been built by a William Carruthers, Esq. Of Dormont (1), on the site of a yard purchased from Margaret Crosbie and barns purchased from Robert Corsan of Meikle Knox. It is a possibility that the large barrel-vaulted space facing the courtyard, used historically for some time as a Bonded Warehouse, is of an earlier date than the Queen Anne (2) house (now 29 Irish Street) erected on top of it.
The low-level courtyard ranges may have been 18th or 19th century reconstructions of earlier buildings on the site. They were largely reconstructed again in 1924 by Bowie (see below). 92 Whitesands forms part of a series of buildings along this section of the river frontage known, before the Council demolished the majority of them in the 20th century, as Waterloo Place. The property – both the house itself above with its garden frontage on Irish Street, and the vaulted warehouse and courtyard ranges at the lower level on the Whitesands – was for a long time in the ownership of the Gilchrist family, later Gilchrist Clark, of Speddoch (3). Having served the purpose, historically, of a Bonded Warehouse, the large and impressive barrel-vaulted space facing onto the courtyard was still in this use in 1880, tenanted by James Foster, Spirit Dealer. From 1897, the premises on the Whitesands were used as a factory, workshop and Cycle Depot by the Kirkpatrick family (famous for having invented an early form of the modern bicycle at the Smithy at Keir) until 1923, when the warehouse, offices and courtyard on the Whitesands were taken over by the Trustees of the Dumfries and Maxwelltown Working Girls’ Social Club, who had acquired all of the property, and had occupied the adjoining house for the previous two years. In the same year, 1923, the architect JM Bowie of the practice of Barbour and Bowie was appointed to carry out extensive alterations to the buildings for the Trustees of the club.
The warehouse was converted to use as a recreation hall, for dances and sporting activities; and the premises were in use as part of the Girls Club, and later as a youth club, until their acquisition by Dumfries and Galloway Council, when they were used until recently for similar purposes (nursery school, play groups, adult education centre, and youth and community activities). In 1924, an elegant stone fore-stair, rising from either side of and arching over the central entrance to the Bonded Warehouse, was removed (4). There are still traces of the original stair nosings on the margins of the existing windows to the vaulted basement warehouse. This stair was replaced with a large gabled sandstone ‘porch’ containing a new internal stair connecting the warehouse with the main house over it, as part of a series of alterations to convert the stables and warehouse premises (92 Whitesands) and the large house above (29 Irish Street) into the new Girls’ Club.
Click here to see the archive film of the Opening of the Girls' Club from the British Film Institute's archives.
References:
(1) Instrument of Sasine, 1st April 1800, resting on a Disposition granted in favour of Dr John Gilchrist of Speddoch on 10th October 1787.
(2) Referred to as such by Matilda Talbot in My Life and Lacock Abbey, 1956. Stylistically, with the panelling that survives in some rooms in the house at 29 Irish Street, this would make sense.
(3) 1787-1921
(4) Drawings and Specification prepared for submission to the Dean of Guild Court, Dumfries, dated 1923. Barbour and Bowie Archive, Dumfries Archive Centre
(1) Instrument of Sasine, 1st April 1800, resting on a Disposition granted in favour of Dr John Gilchrist of Speddoch on 10th October 1787.
(2) Referred to as such by Matilda Talbot in My Life and Lacock Abbey, 1956. Stylistically, with the panelling that survives in some rooms in the house at 29 Irish Street, this would make sense.
(3) 1787-1921
(4) Drawings and Specification prepared for submission to the Dean of Guild Court, Dumfries, dated 1923. Barbour and Bowie Archive, Dumfries Archive Centre
