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Summary

Description

Circa 1820. 2-storey, 3-bay, square-plan villa with Roman Doric portico to garden front. Coursed ashlar to E; coursed squared rubble to N, W and S. Droved ashlar quoin strips; droved rybats with margins; stone cills; straight raised margins; moulded eaves course to E. Elevated stone terrace to E over 3 vaulted cellars.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: central tetrastyle Roman Doric portico (reconstructed 1992), paired plain shafted columns, corresponding pilasters; triglyphs and metopes; timber panelled door, margin-paned fanlight; flanking ground floor windows, Georgian-style cast-iron electric immitation gaslight (1996). 3 1st floor windows.

N ELEVATION: central ground and 1st floor windows.

W (COURTYARD) ELEVATION: plain corniced flat-roofed porch (2001) off-centre left; ground floor windows to outer bays. Central stair window between ground and 1st floor. 2 1st floor windows (close to eaves) to outer bays.

S ELEVATION: central ground and 1st floor windows.

12-pane timber sash and case windows; 20th century modern windows to S. Piended roof; grey slates; coped wallhead stacks; octagonal clay cans.

INTERIOR: hall remodelled in plain neo-classical style with Roman Doric arched screen of grey-veined marble (2001). Faux-marbled stone staircase, pierced cast-iron balusters, mahogany hand rail. Greek key and foliate cornices to dining and drawing rooms. Low panelled dado and plain pilastered chimneypieces to principal rooms; decorative cast-iron fire surrounds to most secondary rooms.

GARDEN TERRACE, VAULTED CELLARS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: wide stone terrace with cast-iron fleur-de-lis railings. Stone stair to S leading to lower garden. 3 open vaulted cellars beneath raised stone terrace with iron gates. Coped random rubble boundary walls enclosing landscaped garden and outlining traditional rig system. Marriage lintel inscribed and dated "17 JC ?? 13" set over exit doorway to SE.

Statement of Special Interest

A marriage lintel dated 1713 incorporated into the gateway at the boundary of the lower garden may refer to the date of the previous house located on the same site. It is likely that the present house - previously known as 'Bank House' - was acquired by the Eastern Bank before the middle of the 19th century. From 1863 the Eastern Bank was taken over by the Clydesdale Bank. Census records and title deeds from this period all refer to the Clydesdale Bank although the 1856 Ordnance Survey erroneously refers to the house as a "Branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland." William Fraser, agent for the bank, is known to have occupied the house from 1851 until his death in 1877. It was after he purchased the house from the Clydesdale Bank in 1870 that the house became known as Park House. George Stewart, also an agent for the Clydesdale, took over the house in 1877 and possibly remained there until a new bank premises was built at 25, 27 High Street by 1900. In 1902, Park House was purchased by the Niven family who were butchers in Inverkeithing. The Nivens remained in the house until 1967. The current owners (2003) have mostly reinstated the house to its original appearance and in doing so removed the later service wing to the SW. However, the original portico (removed in the early 1970s) did not display triglyphs and metopes as does its replacement. Access to Park House is via the pend of No 8 Bank Street (see separate listing), the former stables and sometime brewery which have been converted into a dwelling. Stephen states that these buildings ajacent to Park House "constituted at least part of a brewery built by John Tulloch before 1775." Park House is situated on high ground on a terrace fronting an extensive garden at a lower level to the E. It would seem that the deep vaulted cellars below the terrace, which can also be accessed via hatches at the top, also relate to the former brewery. Park House is one of the few and most distinguished late Georgian buildings in Inverkeithing and has served an important purpose in the economic history of the burgh. Although concealed from Bank Street by the stables at no 8, the house is clearly visible from all eastern vistas.

References

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