Basic Site Details Name: | Kirkcaldy High School, Technical and Elementary Schools | Town, district or village: | Kirkcaldy | City or county: | Fife | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | | Grid ref: | | Notes: | Academy Architecture shows good scheme linked to existing High School, demolished in 1960 - for which see separate entry under Kirkcaldy Burgh School. Building of this school was largely funded from the local Miners' Welfare Institute by a donation of £40,000 - for the provision of evening classes. NB It is unclear what the competition plans by Gillespie & Scott of 1905 and of 1930 are exactly as the dates do not seem to fit other information.
NEW TECHNICAL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, KIRKCALDY. The accompanying drawing shows the new Technical and Elementary Schools at Kirkcaldy, N B by Mr. William Williamson, architect, of that town, which were accepted in open competition. To the right is the existing High School, the technical department occupying the ground to the left, with the Elementary School (which is now completed) behind. A janitor's house is shown in the foreground. The site is an ideal one, being surrounded by streets on the four sides: the main frontages face St. Brycedale Avenue, one of the most important streets in the town. The Technical School is arranged on three floors - viz., the semi-basement, ground and first floors. On the basement floor are provided carpentry and mechanical workshops, laundry and cookery rooms, general stores, lavatories, etc, and accommodation is also found here for the heating apparatus. Access to the basement floor is obtained by means of two broad flights of steps direct from main entrance, and also by a staircase at east end of corridor communicating with the connecting corridor between the ground floor of technical and high school. The ground floor is reached by a broad flight of steps from the principal entrance, and immediately to the right and left are cloakrooms. On this floor are provided physical laboratory, apparatus room, dark room, workshop laboratory, machine and building construction drawing-rooms, with their store, general masters' room, and classroom. On the upper floor are provided the necessary cloakrooms, chemical laboratory, balance room, chemical store and preparation room, art rooms, modelling rooms, design room, art stores, and art master's private room. [Building News 9 September 1904 p359]
NB Technical School was not built to Williamson's design. It was later built to the design of Walter Alison. | Alternative NamesThe following alternative names are associated with this building/design: | | Name | Current name? | Notes | | Fife College, St Brycedale Campus | Yes | | | Kirkcaldy High School | Yes | | | Technical College | Yes | |
Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | College | | | | School | | |
Street AddressesThe following street addresses are associated with this building: | | Address | Main entrance? | Notes | | St Brycedale Avenue | Yes | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1904 | | Opened | Elementary School - Technical School not built at this time. Later built (1926) to design of Walter Alison. | | 1905 | | | Competition entry by Gillespie & Scott? | | c. 1905 | | | Chemistry laboratory (plans dated) | | c. 1926 | | Competition held | Technical School | | 1930 | | | Competition plans dated | | 1933 | | | Addition of two gymnasia and assembly hall | | 22 November 1957 | | Scheme accepted | 'plans approved by Fife Education Committee for reconstruction of Kirkcaldy Technical College at an estimated cost of ₤700,000. The work will be carried out in phases, starting early next year.' per Builder p940 | | 11 September 1959 | | Proposed | 'modernisation and extension to Kirkcaldy Technical College. Est. cost £1,013,500' per Builder p226 | | 4 December 1959 | | Proposed | Phase I: 34,500 sq. ft.; applications to County C per Builder p830 | | September 1960 | June 1966 | Build/construction | actual start and estimated completion dates for major extension to technical college; three two-year phases of construction totalling £1,045,100 per Builder 28 Apr 1961 p811 | | 7 July 1961 | | Proposed | £25,750 set aside by Fife CC for conversion and extension to Kirkcaldy High School per Builder p43 | | 1966 | | Build/construction | New building on site of old High School - though the 1926 addition was retained. |
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 | | William Williamson | | A | 1904 | | Technical and Elementary Schools - only Elementary School built | | Gillespie & Scott | | B | 1905 | | Plans - repairs? new buildings?. Rebuilding of chemical laboratory after fire | | James Ross Gillespie | | B | 1905 | | Plans - repairs? new buildings?. Rebuilding of chemical laboratory after fire | | James Scott | | B | 1905 | | Plans - repairs? new buildings?. Rebuilding of chemical laboratory after fire | | Andrew David Haxton | | C | c. 1905 | | Chemistry laboratory | | Gillespie & Scott | | F | 1924 | | Technical School - unsuccessful entry? | | James Scott | | F | 1924 | | Technical School - unsuccessful entry? | | Andrew David Haxton | | D | c. 1924 | | Technical School - unsuccessful entry? | | George Charles Campbell | | E | c. 1924 | 1929 | Technical School - measurer only | | Walter Alison | | G | c. 1924 | 1929 | Technical School | | Gillespie & Scott | | G | 1930 | | Competition plans for High School - unsuccessful? | | James Scott | | G | 1930 | | Competition plans for High School - unsuccessful? | | George Sandilands | | | 1933 | | Addition of two gymnasia and assembly hall | | Dennis Alexander Forder | | H | 1957 | | Additions - as joint project architect with Fife County Education Architects Department | | John Ernest Gordon Halford | | H | 1957 | | Alterations - as project architect with Fife County Education Architects Departmernt | | Robert Sorley Lawrie | | H | 15 February 1957 | | CHECK - 'plans in hand for alterations and additions to Kirkcaldy Technical College' per Builder, p 344. Project architects John Ernest Gordon Halford and Dennis Forder | | Dennis Alexander Forder | | K | 1966 | | new building - joint project architect with J E G Halford and Fife County Education Architects Department | | Fife County Education Architect's Department | | K | 1966 | | New building with tower on site of old High School - though the 1926 part was retained. | | John Ernest Gordon Halford | | K | 1966 | | New building - joint project architect with Dennis Forder? |
ClientsThe following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | | Name | Notes | | Education Authority | c 1960 |
Related Buildings, Structures and DesignsParent Structure and SiteThis structure is related to the following parent structure or site (click the item to view details): | | Building name | Notes | | Kirkcaldy Burgh School | New High School. See separate entry for the new Technical schools. The cost of the 1890s rebuilding work was between £10,000 and £15,000. |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Academy Architecture | 1904 | | part 1 | | p75 | | Gifford, John | 1988 | Fife (The Buildings of Scotland) | | | p282 | | RSA | 1904 | | | | 448 (Williamson) | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1914 | | | | Williamson work |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Architect | 5 September 1902 | LXVIII | | Supplement, p 9 | | Architect | 15 January 1904 | LXXI | | Supplement, pp 16-17 | | Architect and Building News | 24 May 1929 | CXXI | | p 693 (Technical School 'to be built' to Walter Alison's designs) | | Builder | 1902 | LXXXIII | | p 218 | | Builder | 1902 | LXXXV | | p 391 | | Builder | 30 April 1926 | CXXX | | p 769 | | Builder | 18 August 1933 | CXLV | | p 287 | | Builder | 15 February 1957 | | | p 344 | | Builder | 22 November 1957 | | | p940 | | Builder | 11 September 1959 | | | p226 | | Builder | 4 December 1959 | | | p830 | | Builder | 28 April 1961 | | | 'New Technical Colleges, Scotland' p811 | | Builder | 7 July 1961 | | | p43 | | Building News | 9 September 1904 | | | p359 and illustration |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | Courtesy of Gavin McConnell May 2012 | Information sent to Yvonne Hillyard | | | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 44092 | | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | Haxton & Watson Collection | | HW 1900/2/1, HW 1920/10/1-2 | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | George Charles Campbell: L no3928 (box 18); William Williamson: F v16 p29 no1031 (microfilm reel 11) | | Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland | Canmore | 224427 | | | St Andrews University Library | James Gillespie and Scott Archive | | Bundles nos 840, 865, 1791, 2080 |
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