Building record MAB30243 - ARBUTHNOT HOUSE
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Summary
Former house, municipal chambers and offices, dating from the early 19th Century but incorporating an earlier house.
Protected Status/Designation
- Listed Building (B) 39694
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NK 1361 4606 (28m by 44m) Centred at - Polygon: Known Site Extent |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NK14NW |
| Authority | Aberdeenshire |
| Civil Parish | Peterhead |
Type and Period (6)
- TOWN HOUSE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1561 AD to 2050 AD)
- PIER (Post Medieval to Modern - 1561 AD to 2050 AD)
- COLUMN (Post Medieval to Modern - 1561 AD to 2050 AD)
- Hall (Post Medieval to Modern - 1561 AD to 2050 AD)
- Hall (Post Medieval to Modern - 1561 AD to 2050 AD)
- GARDEN (Post Medieval to Modern - 1561 AD to 2050 AD)
Full Description
Former house, municipal chambers and offices, dating from the early 19th Century but incorporating an earlier house. It is a 2-storey and basement house, 5-window to the front, and single storey wing (now raised to 2-storey). It has a rusticated and key-blocked doorpiece, centre attic pediment with round-headed window, ball-topped area piers, concave front to Union Street with pediment and columned centre tripartites and double bow front and back. Inside, it boasts a fine entrance hall with reeded columns leading to a 2-storey galleried hall with apsidal ends. The ground floor interior work is of very high quality, marred only by the removal of the chimney pieces. The original mansion house was built circa 1768 by Robert Arbuthnot of Haddo-Rattray and then sold to James Arbuthnot of Dens, who was a prosperous merchant of Peterhead who was an extensive Whale, Salmon and Herring fishing proprietor. A house of the same frontage is shown in Ainslie's maps of circa 1800 and 1805 but without bows and of approximately half the depth. James’ son George extended the house to the rear circa 1805 and this is when a double-bowed façade was added facing the harbour. Further works took place in the 1830s, mainly internal alterations. The upper courses (indicating heightening) and some of the interior details suggest that the earlier house was incorporated in the new one. There was a large walled garden to the south of the house, with a well at the centre and a stair connecting to the harbour to the south. Number 60 Broad Street to the west has a one-bay link to this house (NK14NW0570). Photographic recording was carried out in 2024 as part of the Peterhead Cultural project.
Period Notes
On map of 1800, though present building said to be built 1805.
COLLECTIVE ARCHITECTURE, 2023, ARBUTHNOT HOUSE CONSERVATION PLAN (Bibliographic reference). SAB8886.
CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2024, ARBUTHNOT HOUSE , 60 BROAD STREET AND 18 JAMES STREET, PETERHEAD: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION (Bibliographic reference). SAB8887.
Author unknown, n.d., BUCHAN OBSERVER, 18/11/86 (Bibliographic reference). SAB113.
Other Statuses/References
- Authority: ASH;
- HES Listed Building Number: 39694;
- NMR Card Number: NK14NW198;
- NRHE Numlink: 164520;
- Old Historic Environment Record Ref: NK14NW0043;
External Links (2)
- https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB39694 (Historic Environment Scotland Portal Link)
- https://www.trove.scot/place/164520 (trove.scot link)
Sources/Archives (3)
- --- SAB113 Bibliographic reference: Author unknown. n.d.. BUCHAN OBSERVER. 18/11/86.
- --- SAB8886 Bibliographic reference: COLLECTIVE ARCHITECTURE. 2023. ARBUTHNOT HOUSE CONSERVATION PLAN.
- --- SAB8887 Bibliographic reference: CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY. 2024. ARBUTHNOT HOUSE , 60 BROAD STREET AND 18 JAMES STREET, PETERHEAD: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
Record last edited
Apr 14 2025 10:57AM
