St John's Masonic Hall, 4 Braeheads, Banff

1798; 1st floor added late 19th century; forestair enclosed and internal alterations including raising ceiling height of Lodge Room, 1914. Well-detailed, prominently sited, 2-storey, 5-bay at ground, L-plan Masonic Hall in irregular terrace, with centre pend entrance of pedimented and pilastered doorpiece incorporating relief carved 'ST JOHN'S MASONIC HALL' on frieze and crossed compasses in tympanum. Dominant 1st floor windows break eaves into pedimented dormerheads. Rubble with harl to sides and rear, painted ashlar margins and dressings; stone mullions and decorative finials. Boarded timber doors.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: symmetrical principal elevation to E (street elevation) with centre pend flanked by small windows, further windows to outer bays slightly larger and possibly later or altered. Wide-centre tripartite window to centre at 1st floor and single windows over outer bays, all with finialled pediments and moulded skewputts.

4-, 12-pane and plate glass glazing patterns all in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates. Coped ashlar gablehead stacks with thackstanes and some cans; ashlar-coped skews with decorative skewputts to 1st floor dormerheads.

INTERIOR: good retention of early detail to ground floor rooms. Ground floor rooms to N of pend with simple moulded cornices, boarded dadoes and dado rails; timber fire surrounds, that to kitchen with small range, that to principal room with fluted pilasters, cast iron grate and tiled cheeks: shelved wall cupboards and panelled shutters. Rooms to S retain simple cornice and timber fire surround. Later 1st floor hall with coombed ceiling, moulded cornices and circular air vents; 6-panelled timber doors, dado and picture rails. World War I and II memorials.

BOUNDARY WALLS: high rubble boundary walls to rear enclosing small courtyard.