Historic Scotland - Stewarton

Other information courtesy of owner.
NOTES:
This distinctive manor house with Arts and Crafts details and particularly fine door
surround was designed by the well-known architect Alexander Cullen and is a good
example of an early 20th century manor house. The contrasting painted harl and bare
stone margins provides an effective decorative device. The decorative interior retains
much of its original form and the panelled hall is notable.
The house was designed for Hugh Neilson, the owner of Summerlee Iron Company in
Coatbridge and it replaced a previous 19th century house which lay to its South West.
The old house was demolished.
It is possible that there was an earlier chapel near this site although no remains of this
exist. The Summerlee Iron Works began in 1836 by James Neilston and its production
peaked in the 1880s. Thereafter, it declined and closed in 1926.
The site is now Summerlee Museum of Industrial Lire.
Alex Cullen, Lochhead & Brown were a Hamiton and Glasgow based firm formed from
1908-1911. Cullen had prolific practice with most of his work concentrated in Hamilton,
Motherwell and the surrounding area and is known to have designed over 100 buildings
in the period between 1888 and his death in 1911. Most of his work was fur public
buildings such as churches, schools, police stations, hospitals, libraries, offices and
public halls, but he also executed a number of domestic commissions, such as here. In
1902, because of his heavy workload, he took on the architects James Lochhead and
William Brown as partners. The firm Cullen, Lochhead and Brown was one of the leading
practices in Lanarkshire and continued to hold this position after Cullen's death.
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