Basic Site Details Name: | Leith Hospital | Town, district or village: | Leith | City or county: | Edinburgh | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | | Grid ref: | | Notes: | 1899 Diamond Jubilee Extensions LEITH.—The Hospital is to be extended in commemoration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The extension will take the form of an addition to the King-street pavilion, whereby the wards in the south end will be incorporated into the new building, and the present ward of six beds on each flat will be made wards of twenty beds. Day rooms baths, lavatories, and lifts will be provided at the ends of the wards. The present north wards will be utilised for the administrative offices, doctors' and nurses' rooms, kitchen, etc, of the new wards. The extension will allow of an increase of 27 beds in the King-street pavilion, and on completion the hospital will contain in all 102 beds, besides three isolation rooms. The accepted elevation shows a frontage to King-street on the lines of the existing work, but treated in a less severe style, and terminates with a gable and oriel window, with balustrading. Ground on the other side of King- street, opposite the hospital, will be occupied by a new kitchen, laundry, and nurses' home. Plant for steam power will he put down for the kitchen and laundry, and it is intended to provide an installation of the electric light and motive power for lifts, etc. The nurses' home will accommodate thirty nurses. The buildings will be connected with the hospital by a subway under King-street. The total cost of the new buildings, including machinery and plant, is estimated at between £17,000 and £20,000. The plans have been prepared by Mr. W. N. Thomson, architect, Leith. [Building News 27 January 1899 p127]
The home contains separate bedrooms for 33 nurses, dining halls for nurses and servants, a sitting room and a reading room and in the rear of it new offices - a kitchen, laundry, boiler house, engine house and disinfector - have been erected. [British Architect 29 May 1903 Page 397] | Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Hospital | | |
Street AddressesThe following street addresses are associated with this building: | | Address | Main entrance? | Notes | | King Street | Yes | | | 8, Mill Lane | Yes | Earliest Part | | Taylor Gardens | Yes | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1850 | | | Original building | | 1873 | 1875 | | Northeast extension | | 1894 | | | Mill Lane block heightened (architect not known) | | 1898 | 1903 | | Large Renaissance-style nurses' home to south, built to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee | | 1926 | | | Alterations; new nurses' home; new outpatients' department; new casualty department | | c. 1934 | | | Reconstruction; new paying patients' and eye wards; additional nurses' home and maids' home | | 1984 | | Survey | Fire precaution survey |
PeopleDesign and ConstructionThe following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column. | | Name | Role | Partnership Group | From | To | Notes | | Peter Hamilton | | | 1850 | | Original building - Mill Lane block | | James Simpson | | | 1873 | 1875 | Northeast extension | | William Nicholas Thomson | | | 1898 | 1903 | Large Renaissance-style nurses' home to south, and ward extensions, built to commemorate Victoria's Diamond Jubilee | | George Simpson | | | 1923 | 1927 | New wing in Taylor gardens replacing Peddie's poorhouse (see separate entry for the latter) - Taylor Gardens Memorial block | | James Stewart Johnston | | B | 1926 | | New outpatients' department and new nurses' home - supervised, as assistant to Joseph Marr Johnston | | Joseph Marr Johnston | | B | 1926 | | Alterations; new nurses' home; new outpatients' department; new casualty department | | James Stewart Johnston | | C | c. 1934 | | Reconstruction; new paying patients' and eye wards; additional nurses' home and maids' home - as Honorary Architect to Leith Hospital | | Peter Burnett Caird | | D | 1984 | | Fire precaution survey - partner in charge | | Reiach & Hall | | D | 1984 | | Fire precaution survey |
Related Buildings, Structures and DesignsChild Structures
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Gifford, John, McWilliam, Colin and Walker, David M | 1984 | Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland) | | Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd | p464 | | Hoy, Christine | 1988 | A Beacon in Our Town | | Edinburgh | | | Kenna and Mooney | 1983 | People's Palaces | | | p133 | | Richardson, Harriet | N.D. | Scottish Hospitals Survey | | Unpublished typescript (copy in DMW Archive) | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | British Architect | 29 May 1903 | | | p397 | | Building News | 27 January 1899 | | | p127 - Diamond Jubilee works |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | Courtesy of Peter B Caird | Information sent to DSA | | Sent March 2011 | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 27822 | | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | W N Thomson & Co handlists of practice records | | | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | Joseph Marr Johnston: F no2400 (box 6); James Stewart Johnston: L no4394 (combined box 11) & F no2400 (box 6) |
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