Description
McArthy and Watson, dated 1903. Built as Dr Guthrie?s Girls Industrial School. 2-storey, U-plan, with chapel adjoining left wing at right angles to rear. Z-plan 2-storey addition to N, Esme Gordon, 1962. Harled with red sandstone polished ashlar dressings, base course, margined quoins.
E (FRONT) ELEVATION: recessed 2-storey centre block flanked by projecting gabled wings. Wings with window to each floor in ashlar panel; S wing has pedimented stone bipartite at ground floor, timber bipartite at 1st floor with round-headed pediment, N wing has timber tripartite at ground floor, 1st floor window as above, slit openings to gableheads. Wings linked at ground floor by single-storey flat-roofed range with stone balustrade broken by pedimented porch to centre: stair with wrought-iron railings to 2-leaf panelled front door in moulded, round-arched door surround, keystone with carved cherub, flanked by engaged Ionic columns. Name and date plaque to tympanum with initials in cartouche above. Inner door and screen, half-glazed, with margined glazing. 3 windows to each side. 1st floor recessed, centre bay advanced and gabled, framed by 2 tall wallhead stacks with diamond-set flues. Tall pedimented window giving access to balcony, small tripartite to gablehead. 2 bipatrites with stone mullions flanking,
2 windows to return of wings. Cornice, stone balustrade above continued around wings with ball finials.
REAR: 2-storey projecting wings forming central courtyard, currently with steel roof trusses to support temporary canvass roof. Single storey gabled chapel with timber belfy at right angles to rear, in use as dining hall.
Timber sash and case windows with small-pane glazing. Ashlar margined angled skews, harled and ashlar margined and corniced, shouldered wallhead stacks. Red roof and ridge tiles.
Lower, 2-storey 1962 wing adjoining to N, principal elevation to road of 9 irregular bays, 3 of which have ornamental terracotta panels to window aprons with foliate motifs and date 1965. Range continues to W. Boiler house and outbuildings to rear of complex.
INTERIOR: entrance hall with central cupola and heavy cornice, screen to main corridor with Ionic columns in antis and paired pilasters opposite supporting central vault, barrel-vaulted corridors to N and S.
Low ashlar coped BOUNDARY WALL to Gilmerton Road.