The site of Largo House (just north of the A915 between Lundin Links and Upper Largo) has a long history, some of which was covered in an earlier post about Sir Andrew Wood's tower. Wood's tower is all that remains of an earlier grand building on the site. The estate was purchased by the Durham family in the 1660s and the construction of Largo House (now itself a ruin) took place in the early 1750s. I'd like to cover the history of the Largo House building in a series of posts, starting with its original design and construction.
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) has suggested that the design of Largo House could be based upon Shawfield Mansion in Glasgow (see pair of images on left). Shawfield had been built in 1712 on the Trongate for Daniel Campbell (who went on to become a controversial MP for the city), to a design by Colen Campbell (1676-1729), who was a pioneering Scottish architect and architectural writer, credited as a founder of the Georgian style. His major published work, Vitruvius Britannicus (or the British Architect) appeared in three volumes between 1715 and 1725.
It doesn't seem too far-fetched to believe that the design of Largo House was inspired by Campbell's only Scottish work. An engraving of Shawfield was included in Campbell's seminal architectural guide, along with detailed measurements and descriptions. The two buildings share a symmetrical seven-bay front, with the three central bays projected to form a pedimented pavilion. Both are two stories over a raised basement. The corners of the buildings are emphasised with quoins. The main entrance to each is at first storey level, with a curved pediment, and is approached by a flight of steps. The roof of each house has a central platform with balustrades and there are globe-like ornaments on the roofs.
The original Largo House (before its extensions and conservatory were added) must have been incredibly similar to Shawfield (which was demolished in 1792) and although built four decades later, Largo House would have still been a fashionable style, given that Shawfield was such a trailblazing design and its architect had become so renowned.
It doesn't seem too far-fetched to believe that the design of Largo House was inspired by Campbell's only Scottish work. An engraving of Shawfield was included in Campbell's seminal architectural guide, along with detailed measurements and descriptions. The two buildings share a symmetrical seven-bay front, with the three central bays projected to form a pedimented pavilion. Both are two stories over a raised basement. The corners of the buildings are emphasised with quoins. The main entrance to each is at first storey level, with a curved pediment, and is approached by a flight of steps. The roof of each house has a central platform with balustrades and there are globe-like ornaments on the roofs.
The original Largo House (before its extensions and conservatory were added) must have been incredibly similar to Shawfield (which was demolished in 1792) and although built four decades later, Largo House would have still been a fashionable style, given that Shawfield was such a trailblazing design and its architect had become so renowned.
It appears unproven that Largo House was built to a design by John Adam or one of his brothers, as it often cited. There may be similarities in style to other Adam brothers' buildings, but could that be because certain architectural features were simply prevalent at the time? It does seem to be certain that John Adam provided a chimney piece for Largo House (according to RCAHMS), so perhaps his involvement was limited to that particular element. If you know more about the connection between Largo House and the Adam family of architects, please comment.
Although the date 1750 is clearly carved above the front entrance, it is not clear whether this was actually the date of completion, the date of laying the foundation stone or an approximate build date which was added later. We know that Largo House was built for James Durham and construction in the early 1750s would tie in neatly with key events in his life. James Durham married Anne Calderwood in 1753 and the pair had their first child the following year - see notices below from the Caledonian Mercury and the Scots Magazine respectively.
Although the date 1750 is clearly carved above the front entrance, it is not clear whether this was actually the date of completion, the date of laying the foundation stone or an approximate build date which was added later. We know that Largo House was built for James Durham and construction in the early 1750s would tie in neatly with key events in his life. James Durham married Anne Calderwood in 1753 and the pair had their first child the following year - see notices below from the Caledonian Mercury and the Scots Magazine respectively.
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