The Town House gives Broad Street its principal civic vertical, rising from a granite classical front to clock and steeple.
Quick facts
- Date
- Built 1788; entrance altered 1881
- Architect / designer
- John Baxter; later entrance by William Stuart
- Type
- Classical granite town house with pediment, clock and steeple
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB39674)
- OS grid reference
- NK 13415 46101
Architecture and continuing use
Five bays and three storeys are centred on a slightly advanced pedimented section. The steeple contains James Argo’s 1788 clock and an 1858 Mears bell.
Its story
The Community of Feuars commissioned the building in 1788 and HES records that it remains their property. William Stuart added the present entrance in 1881, replacing the original stair to the first floor.
Why it is included
It is the architectural anchor of Peterhead’s civic street and material evidence for the town’s unusual feuars’ administration.
What to notice
- Slightly advanced central bays and pediment.
- Clock and successive stages of the steeple.
- Arched openings on the north elevation.
Reading the surroundings
View from public pavements and the Broad Street space. Interior access and present room uses should be confirmed with the owner; no general public opening is assumed.
Timeline
- Built 1788 The Community of Feuars commissioned the building in 1788 and HES records that it remains their property. William Stuart added the present entrance in 1881, replacing the original stair to the first floor.
- Present Historic property of the Community of Feuars; public interior use is not assumed.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Reliable sources confirm continuing ownership but not a stable public programme for every internal floor, so this record deliberately avoids assigning an unsupported current function.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Peterhead Town House, LB39674 — Designation status, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural or historical interest.
- Peterhead Trail — Public heritage-route context and the Town House’s place within the Broad Street civic group.
- Aberdeenshire Council: Peterhead Town Trail leaflet — Official mapped trail and architectural interpretation of the town centre.
Location
OS grid reference NK 13415 46101 · 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.
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