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Wellington Lodge
811 A photograph showing Wellington Lodge on the corner of Justice Mill Lane and Holburn Street.
The top of Holburn Street, towards Holburn Junction, was previously known as South Street and later as Wellington Place. In the background of this image, on the far left, can be seen the John Smith designed Water House on Union Street.
Wellington Lodge stood across the road from Holburn Church, roughly where the Glentanar Bar stands today. It can be seen on the large scale Ordnance Survey town plan and map sheets from the 1860s.
The property appears to have belonged to the Whytes of Dalhebity, Cults. For some time Wellington Lodge was the residence of Helen Whyte and she was likely the house's final resident.
Helen Whyte died aged 85 on 31st January 1898 (death notice: Aberdeen Weekly Journal, 09/02/1898, p. 4). Newspaper references suggest she was involved in various charitable activities. She was the daughter of Baillie John Whyte, a merchant, and had a brother also called John Whyte (1845-1904), a prominent citizen and advocate.
Another death notice indicates that Mary Ann Hardie, of 48 Victoria Road, Torry, was employed for 38 years as the servant for Miss Helen Whyte. Hardie died in 1895 (death notice: Aberdeen Journal, 17/08/1895, p. 4).
Newspapers also suggest the villa was the home of Miss Mary Murray Gordon. She would likely have been a relation of James Murray Gordon who was a partner in the same law firm as John Whyte, Helen's aforementioned brother.
Wellington Lodge was probably demolished shortly after the death of Helen Whyte. It made way for the extension of the larger tenement buildings on Holburn Street that can be seen in the background of this photograph.
The Aberdeen Weekly Journal's 'Granite Chips' column of 17th May 1899 (p. 9) states "A very large and handsome block of buildings for Mr Peter Farquharson has been erected in Holburn Street, stretching from the office of the Union Bank of Scotland to Justice Mill Lane." This most likely refers to this development.
David Miller in Archibald Simpson, Architect, His Life and Times 1790-1847 (2006) states that this villa was designed by Simpson for Mrs Yeats of Auquharney (page 174). Aberdeen Eye Institution
2424 The doric portico and entrance to 142 King Street during its time as the Aberdeen Eye Institution. Previously known as the Aberdeen Ophthalmic Institution, this specialist eye hospital was founded in 1835 by Sir James McGrigor and Dr. John Cadenhead. It was originally located on the south end of Belmont Street and moved to 142 King Street in 1903.
142 King Street was built by the architect John Smith as his family home and office in around 1817. The expansion of King Street and nearby streets surrounded the villa with access from King Street was through a small pend. After the Aberdeen Eye Institution the building was occupied by the Boilermakers Social Club into the early 2000s.
This image comes from an Annual Report & Abstract of Accounts for the hospital from the 1911. Aberdeen Local Studies hold a number of these reports from the period 1896 to 1913. Aberdeen Eye Institution
2425 A small ward in 142 King Street during its time as the Aberdeen Eye Institution. Previously known as the Aberdeen Ophthalmic Institution, this specialist eye hospital was founded in 1835 by Sir James McGrigor and Dr. John Cadenhead. It was originally located on the south end of Belmont Street and moved to 142 King Street in 1903.
142 King Street was built by the architect John Smith as his family home and office in around 1817. The expansion of King Street and nearby streets surrounded the villa with access from King Street was through a small pend. After the Aberdeen Eye Institution the building was occupied by the Boilermakers Social Club into the early 2000s.
This image comes from an Annual Report & Abstract of Accounts for the hospital from the 1911. Aberdeen Local Studies hold a number of these reports from the period 1896 to 1913. Aberdeen Eye Institution
2426 The interior of 142 King Street during its time as the Aberdeen Eye Institution. Previously known as the Aberdeen Ophthalmic Institution, this specialist eye hospital was founded in 1835 by Sir James McGrigor and Dr. John Cadenhead. It was originally located on the south end of Belmont Street and moved to 142 King Street in 1903.
142 King Street was built by the architect John Smith as his family home and office in around 1817. The expansion of King Street and nearby streets surrounded the villa with access from King Street was through a small pend. After the Aberdeen Eye Institution the building was occupied by the Boilermakers Social Club into the early 2000s.
This image comes from an Annual Report & Abstract of Accounts for the hospital from the 1911. Aberdeen Local Studies hold a number of these reports from the period 1896 to 1913. Aberdeen Cinemas: Casino
3410 An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Casino cinema in around 1963.
The Casino cinema was opened on Wales Street on 7th February 1916 by John Peter Kilgour, a dealer in various waste materials. It had close competition with Bert Gate's Star Picture Palace just around the corner on Park Street. Michael Thomson in The Silver Screen in the Silver City describes the Casino as the second of Aberdeen's purpose-built picture halls. It and the "Starrie" served the population of the city's east end for many years.
The Casino was built on the site of Kilgour's factory yards. The architects for the project were George Sutherland and Clement George. The building's "Spanish villa" design is described by Thomson as unique for Aberdeen and highly unusual throughout Scotland. One distinctive feature was the low square tower at the Park Street side of the building that was topped by a red-tiled concave pyramidal roof. Thomson writes that features of the building combined to "bring a welcome splash of colour and gaiety to an otherwise drab corner of the city."
Following the death of John Peter Kilgour in 1920, the running of the Casino and his waste business was taken over by his son, Ormande L. Kilgour.
In the silent era the venue was a stronghold of cine-variety, showing all manner of performances in-between film screenings. In February 1936 the cinema celebrated its 20th birthday and a cake was cut by Kilgour and one the Casino's oldest patrons, a Mrs Stewart.
In November 1939 Bert Gates and Aberdeen Picture Palaces bought a controlling interest share in the Casino. The Beach Boulevard, which opened on 25th May 1959, ran directly outside the cinema and gave the Casino a prominent location. In March of that year the cinema was given a thorough renovation.
Despite its new prominent location and recent renovation, the Casino closed down as a cinema on Saturday 3rd October 1959. A spokesperson for the Donald Cinemas Group stated in the Evening Express at the time that the closure was due to the housing in the area being pulled down and people moving to new estates. Michael Thomson suggests that the proximity of the relatively new first-run Regal in Shiprow might also have drawn away the hoped-for holiday crowds from the Casino.
In 1961 the empty Casino was sold to local bookmakers James Rennie and Arthur Forbes to be used as a bingo hall. This was at the height of bingo's popularity and the Casino proved too small. The bingo operation was moved to the Kingsway Cinema which had showed its final film, Warlord of Crete on 3rd February 1962.
The area around the Casino was earmarked for redevelopment by Aberdeen Town Council. The cinema building was compulsorily purchased and, after spending some time as a store, was demolished at the same time as the Star in 1971. The site is now occupied by a residential development.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. Royal Lunatic Asylum - Elmhill House
524 A sketched elevation of the proposed building designed by architect William Ramage (1819-1866) as an extension for Aberdeen's Royal Lunatic Asylum. The building became known as Elmhill House and was completed in 1866.
This sketch illustrated the Interim report to the managers of the Royal Infirmary and Lunatic Asylum of Aberdeen (1858). A copy of this pamphlet is held in the Local Studies collection of Aberdeen City Libraries. The interim report primarily consists of text by Ramage outlining his amended plans for the building. The amendments were informed by his visits, alongside a Dr. Jamieson, to "several of the most important Asylums in the Kingdom".
Ramage refers to an accompanying set of four plans. The interim report only features this sketch and a plan of the main floor, marked as ground plan no. 11. The comments from the committee, that introduce and follow Ramage's report, written by convener David McHardy, indicate that the two illustrations from the pamphlet were drawn up at the committee's request and are separate from those plans mentioned by Ramage.
Elmhill House was designed by Ramage in an Italian villa style with an E-plan layout. The building had three storeys above ground and a basement. The entry on Aberdeen City's Historic Environment Record indicates it was built to alleviate overcrowding at the main Royal Lunatic Asylum buildings at Cornhill. It was intended to be for the care of private patients able to pay a guinea a week or more.
The above site also explains that the building was badly damaged by bombing in World War 2. Though much of the Elmhill House, including the elevation shown here, can still be seen at the time of writing in 2023. A comparable view is given, looking north, from Shaw Road. The building appears to be in use as private housing.
In this sketch, Ramage is identified as the architect in the bottom left. In the opposite corner, the lithographers are given as Keith & Gibb. Royal Lunatic Asylum - Elmhill House
525 A plan of the main floor of the proposed building designed by architect William Ramage (1819-1866) as an extension for Aberdeen's Royal Lunatic Asylum. The building became known as Elmhill House and was completed in 1866.
This ground plan, marked as no. 11, illustrated the Interim report to the managers of the Royal Infirmary and Lunatic Asylum of Aberdeen (1858). A copy of this pamphlet is held in the Local Studies collection of Aberdeen City Libraries. The interim report primarily consists of text by Ramage outlining his amended plans for the building. The amendments were informed by his visits, alongside a Dr. Jamieson, to "several of the most important Asylums in the Kingdom".
Ramage refers to an accompanying set of four plans. The interim report only features this plan and a sketch of the main elevation. The comments from the committee, that introduce and follow Ramage's report, written by convener David McHardy, indicate that the two illustrations from the pamphlet were drawn up at the committee's request and are separate from those plans mentioned by Ramage.
Elmhill House was designed by Ramage in an Italian villa style with an E-plan layout, as shown here. The building had three storeys above ground and a basement. The entry on Aberdeen City's Historic Environment Record indicates it was built to alleviate overcrowding at the main Royal Lunatic Asylum buildings at Cornhill. It was intended to be for the care of private patients able to pay a guinea a week or more.
The above site also explains that the building was badly damaged by bombing in World War 2. Though much of the Elmhill House can still be seen at the time of writing in 2023. The building appears to be in use as private housing.
The accompanying description in the interim report indicates that this plan contains "accommodation suitable for sixty-six patients of both sexes." We can also see facilities for a superintendent, a matron, pantries, dining rooms, day rooms, baths, toilets and a large hall. |