A rare mid-eighteenth-century charitable hospital survives as housing opposite St Michael’s churchyard.
Quick facts
- Date
- Built 1751–1753; later converted to housing
- Architect / designer
- James Harley and Alexander Crombie, contractors
- Type
- Symmetrical H-plan charitable hospital
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB26339)
- OS grid reference
- NX 97448 75667
Architecture and continuing use
The two-storey H-plan composition rises above a basement with advanced end bays, a rusticated central doorway and strong paired stacks. Painted walling and ashlar margins give it a disciplined institutional presence.
Its story
James and William Moorhead endowed accommodation for poor householders and orphans. After later care uses ended, the building was converted to flats.
Why it is included
Its early date, charitable purpose and continued residential use add an important social-history layer to Dumfries’s Georgian architecture.
What to notice
- Symmetrical H-plan and advanced outer bays.
- Rusticated central entrance approached by steps.
- Relationship with St Michael’s church and burial ground.
Reading the surroundings
This is private housing. View from public pavements, respect residents and do not enter shared courts or stairs without invitation.
Timeline
- Built 1751–1753 James and William Moorhead endowed accommodation for poor householders and orphans. After later care uses ended, the building was converted to flats.
- Present Residential flats.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The interiors are private and may have changed during conversion; this record does not describe individual flats.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Moorhead’s Hospital, LB26339 — Designation status, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural or historical interest.
- Dumfries and Galloway Council: conservation-area appraisal — Current residential conversion, townscape role and local architectural context.
Location
OS grid reference NX 97448 75667 · Location confidence: High: the statutory designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference and the current source confirms the Place relationship or present identity. · 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.
Suggest a marker correction
Suggest a more accurate position
The teal marker is the current published position. The orange marker starts slightly to its right so both remain visible; this is only a visual starting position. Tap the correct place on the map or drag the orange marker. Sending this form creates a private review entry only; it does not move the published marker.
Check this area in Google Maps Choose the Satellite layer there if useful.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. You can also enter checked coordinates below.