A schoolmaster’s villa beside the burn connects the Academy’s expansion with the home of pioneering local politician Lavinia Malcolm.
Quick facts
- Date: Circa 1825.
- Architect / designer: Architect not established; formerly attributed to Playfair.
- Type: Two-storey villa over a sunken basement.
- Designation: Listed building, Category B (LB24540).
- Grid reference: NS 96284 98209.
A domestic counterpart to the Academy
HES records Burnside House as a residence commissioned for an Academy schoolmaster. Its three-bay front combines rubble walling with more carefully worked stone around the openings. The central doorpiece, hipped slate roof and end chimneystacks give the house a composed outline without the school’s monumental scale.
Architectural attribution
The current HES account expressly states that documentary evidence does not support the older attribution to William Henry Playfair. It recognises similarities with his Academy Place houses, but also differences in stonework and design.
A household and a civic history
The museum associates Burnside House with Richard and Lavinia Malcolm. The Community Council’s history identifies Lavinia as Scotland’s first woman town councillor and woman provost, serving as provost of Dollar from 1913 to 1919. The plaque visible beside the doorway connects this domestic building with that wider public history.
What to notice
- The contrast between irregular rubble and the worked window margins.
- The shallow pediment over the central door.
- The commemorative plaque, viewed without entering private grounds.
Reading the surroundings
Burnside House is a private residence. View it from public streets and respect the entrance and garden.
What remains uncertain
A designer has not been securely identified. The approximate construction date and the schoolmaster connection follow HES; the later household association follows local historical research.
Sources and contributions
- HES: Burnside House, LB24540 — Circa 1825 schoolmaster’s residence, fabric, official location and explicit withdrawal of a secure Playfair attribution.
- Dollar Museum: Lavinia Malcolm — The Malcolm household and Burnside House’s association with local civic history.
- Dollar Community Council: Town Council history — Lavinia Malcolm’s 1913–19 provostship and the history of Dollar’s burgh administration.
Location
OS grid reference NS 96284 98209 · Location confidence: High for the official HES designation point. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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