Basic Site Details

Name: Hamilton House
Town, district or village: Prestonpans
City or county: East Lothian
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: A listed
Grid ref:
Notes: A 17th century townhouse, Hamilton House was scheduled for demolition in the 1930s under the slum clearance scheme (it had been divided into six single-ends with an outside WC on the wooden stairs). However, Lorna Matthew (wife of architect Robert Matthew) asked architects Frank Mears and Robert Hurd to intervene, and as a result the newly established National Trust for Scotland took it on and carried out the restoration. In 1939 the Matthew family became the Trust's first tenants in the house.

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Townhouse  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 21628   
Item 2 of 21937  Restoration

People

Design and Construction

The 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.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 3Neil & Hurd A1937 Restoration
Item 2 of 3Norman Alexander Gordon Neil A1937 Restoration
Item 3 of 3Robert Philip Andrew Hurd A1937 Restoration

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 1National Trust for ScotlandClient for 1937 restoration

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Glendinning, Miles2008Modern architect: the life and times of Robert Matthew RIBA Publishingp58
Item 2 of 2McWilliam, Colin1978Lothian (The Buildings of Scotland)  p391

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 1Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register17529Preson, Hamilton House