Colony houses
Encyclopedia
The colony houses of Edinburgh
were built between 1850 and 1910 as homes for artisans and skilled working-class families by philanthropic model dwellings companies. The first development was the Pilrig Model Buildings, near Leith Walk
. Later developments across the city were built by the Edinburgh Cooperative Building Company Limited, founded in 1861. The founders of this company were influenced by the Reverend Dr. James Begg
and the Reverend Dr. Thomas Chalmers
, ministers of the Free Church of Scotland
, who campaigned to improve the housing conditions of the poor.
The developments at Stockbridge, Dalry, Shaw Colonies, and Rosebank Cottages are category B listed buildings.
Characteristically, each flat originally had four rooms, a separate external toilet and a garden. Colony houses were built as double flats, upper and lower, with the upper flat's front door on the opposite side to the lower flat's front door, allowing each flat to have a front garden.
The second development was at Rosebank Cottages, and was designed by architect Alexander MacGregor for Sir James Gowans. The 36 houses in three rows were based on the Pilrig model, though they added the external stair which is characteristic of the later colonies.
In 1861, a group of builders found themselves locked out of their building sites due to a dispute about working hours. Their three-month ban led to the formation of The Edinburgh Co-operative Building Company Ltd (ECBC). This group comprised many different trades - stonemasons, plasterers, plumbers and others sympathetic to their aims. Central to its mission was a co-operative spirit that was reflected in its adoption of the beehive motif. The company's first site was at Glenogle Park, by the Water of Leith
near Stockbridge, where the foundation stone was laid on 23 October 1861. The layout of 11 terraces took the Rosebank development as its prototype, and was mostly complete by 1872.
While the building lock out provided the opportunity for tradesmen to form a company, it was the poor state of housing in the old town which was the underlying stimulus for the foundation of the ECBC, whose stated intention was to build houses for sale to working people. A newspaper from 1870 reports:
ECBC also constructed the Dalry Colonies at Haymarket, from 1868 to 1870, largely to house the employees of the Caledonian Railway
. By 1911 over 2,000 houses had been constructed on 11 sites. Many were owned by artisan classes in an era when mortgages did not exist. The earliest residents of the colonies were a skilled workers and artisan builders and this remained the largest occupational group for much of the 20th century. The Abbeyhill colonies in particular had a number of railway workers due to the proximity of the area to the line. Persistence of inhabitants was also a key feature of colony life which made for stable neighbourhoods. The design of the buildings did result in a certain amount of overlooking and gossiping, but this feature has also contributed to its sense of identity and community that is quite unique in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
were built between 1850 and 1910 as homes for artisans and skilled working-class families by philanthropic model dwellings companies. The first development was the Pilrig Model Buildings, near Leith Walk
Leith Walk
Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stretches from The Foot Of Leith Walk at the junction of Great Junction Street and Constitution Street to the junction with London Road, it then links to the east end of Princes Street via Leith Street...
. Later developments across the city were built by the Edinburgh Cooperative Building Company Limited, founded in 1861. The founders of this company were influenced by the Reverend Dr. James Begg
James Begg
James Begg was a Free Church of Scotland minister.He was editor for The Bulwark or The Reformation Journal for 21 years from its beginning July, 1851. He also wrote frequently to The Witness, Hugh Miller's newspaper.- External links :* * at the National Portrait Gallery*...
and the Reverend Dr. Thomas Chalmers
Thomas Chalmers
Thomas Chalmers , Scottish mathematician, political economist, divine and a leader of the Free Church of Scotland, was born at Anstruther in Fife.-Overview:...
, ministers of the Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish denomination which was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from the established Church of Scotland in a schism known as the "Disruption of 1843"...
, who campaigned to improve the housing conditions of the poor.
Description
Streets of colony houses are found in ten locations within Edinburgh:- AbbeyhillAbbeyhillAbbeyhill is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.As with many other city suburbs, the area has varying definitions. Generally it may be taken to mean the part of town lying between Holyrood Park to the south, Meadowbank to the east; Calton Hill and Leith to the north; and the yards of...
- Dalry Colonies, HaymarketHaymarket, EdinburghHaymarket is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is in the west of the city and is a focal point for many main roads, notably Dalry Road , Corstorphine Road and Shandwick Place .Haymarket contains a number of popular pubs, cafés and...
- Leith LinksLeith LinksLeith Links is the principal open space within Leith, the harbour district of Edinburgh, Scotland. This public park extends to . In its current form it is largely flat and bordered by mature trees. Historically it was an undulating area of former sand-dunes utilised as a golf links.-Current...
, LeithLeith-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river.... - Lochend Road, LochendLochend, EdinburghLochend is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south of Leith.Lochend have a youth football club, playing at Seafield Park.-Sources:...
- North Fort Street, Leith
- Rosebank Cottages, FountainbridgeFountainbridgeFountainbridge is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, a short distance west of the city centre, adjoining Tollcross to the east, Bruntsfield to the south, Dalry to the west and Haymarket to the north....
- Shaw Colonies, PilrigPilrigPilrig is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The name derives from a tower at the end of a field .Pilrig lies midway between Leith and Edinburgh, west of Leith Walk. It is split by Pilrig Street, which marks the division between the EH6 and EH7 postcode districts...
- ShandonShandonShandon can refer to some place names:Republic of Ireland* Shandon, Dublin* Shandon, CorkUnited Kingdom* Shandon, Argyll and Bute, Scotland* Shandon Castle, Argyll and Bute, Scotland* Shandon, Edinburgh, ScotlandUnited States* Shandon, California...
- SlatefordSlatefordSlateford is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is east of the Water of Leith.The former village of Slateford lies on the Lanark Road where it crosses the Water of Leith 1/4 of a mile south west of Slateford Station. The name "Slateford" comes from local rock found in the area and...
- StockbridgeStockbridge, EdinburghStockbridge is an area of Edinburgh, located towards the north of the city, bounded by the New Town and by Comely Bank. The name is Scots stock brig from Anglic stocc brycg, meaning a timber bridge. Originally a small outlying village, it was incorporated into the City of Edinburgh in the 19th...
The developments at Stockbridge, Dalry, Shaw Colonies, and Rosebank Cottages are category B listed buildings.
Characteristically, each flat originally had four rooms, a separate external toilet and a garden. Colony houses were built as double flats, upper and lower, with the upper flat's front door on the opposite side to the lower flat's front door, allowing each flat to have a front garden.
History
In 1849, the Pilrig Model Dwellings Company was formed by the Rev. William Gordon Blaikie to build housing for the working classes. The scheme of 44 houses in four blocks was developed by architect Partick Wilson, and built between 1850 and 1851. Originally known as the Pilrig Model Buildings, the streets were renamed Shaw's Place, Shaw's Street and Shaw's Terrace in 1896.The second development was at Rosebank Cottages, and was designed by architect Alexander MacGregor for Sir James Gowans. The 36 houses in three rows were based on the Pilrig model, though they added the external stair which is characteristic of the later colonies.
In 1861, a group of builders found themselves locked out of their building sites due to a dispute about working hours. Their three-month ban led to the formation of The Edinburgh Co-operative Building Company Ltd (ECBC). This group comprised many different trades - stonemasons, plasterers, plumbers and others sympathetic to their aims. Central to its mission was a co-operative spirit that was reflected in its adoption of the beehive motif. The company's first site was at Glenogle Park, by the Water of Leith
Water of Leith
The Water of Leith is the main river flowing through Edinburgh, Scotland, to the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth.It is long and rises in the Colzium Springs at Millstone Rig of the Pentland Hills...
near Stockbridge, where the foundation stone was laid on 23 October 1861. The layout of 11 terraces took the Rosebank development as its prototype, and was mostly complete by 1872.
While the building lock out provided the opportunity for tradesmen to form a company, it was the poor state of housing in the old town which was the underlying stimulus for the foundation of the ECBC, whose stated intention was to build houses for sale to working people. A newspaper from 1870 reports:
ECBC also constructed the Dalry Colonies at Haymarket, from 1868 to 1870, largely to house the employees of the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
. By 1911 over 2,000 houses had been constructed on 11 sites. Many were owned by artisan classes in an era when mortgages did not exist. The earliest residents of the colonies were a skilled workers and artisan builders and this remained the largest occupational group for much of the 20th century. The Abbeyhill colonies in particular had a number of railway workers due to the proximity of the area to the line. Persistence of inhabitants was also a key feature of colony life which made for stable neighbourhoods. The design of the buildings did result in a certain amount of overlooking and gossiping, but this feature has also contributed to its sense of identity and community that is quite unique in Edinburgh.
External links
- Edinburgh Colonies - edinburgharchitecture.co.uk
- http://www.colony-of-artists.com/ - Colony of Artists