Park House, 2 Melville Gardens, Montrose

Park House is a substantial 2-storey, 3-bay classically detailed villa dating from around 1880, situated in Montrose. The house has an approximate L-plan layout. The front elevation is constructed of grey sandstone ashlar, with squared and stugged red sandstone used for the sides and rear. A rusticated base course runs along the front, and a cornice sits above the ground floor, with further cornices at the eaves and a parapet topping the walls. Rusticated quoins accentuate the corners.

The west-facing principal elevation is symmetrical. The central doorpiece is ornate, featuring a three-step stone flight leading to a round-arch entrance supported by paired pilasters, a richly decorated keystone, spandrels, and an entablature. A plain fanlight and side lights are present, along with carved, twin-leaf panelled doors. The entablature extends, incorporating modillions to mimic a balcony parapet, supporting a segmental-arched window with architraved margins, flanking pilasters, and armorial crests rising through the cornice and parapet to a pedimented wallhead feature topped with an urn finial. Flanking bays feature a canted window at ground floor, a cast-iron ventilator in the raised base course, pilastered mullions, architraved heads, and a parapet creating a balcony for the first-floor window. Another bipartite window displays pilaster mullions, a Doric entablature, and a slightly advanced parapet with a round-arch panel and armorial crest, finished with an urn finial.

The south elevation consists of a main block to the left with a round-arch window centrally positioned at the first floor. A west wing is set back in two stages to the right; a blank, shallow advance of the main block is centrally located, with a ground-floor window facing east to reveal the return. A tall window above illuminates the staircase. A lower, 2-storey, 4-bay wing extends to the right; the two bays to the left advance slightly, featuring a central door and a window above at the first floor. A small window is located at ground level to the right.

The east elevation shows the main block set back to the left, with a stone-mullioned bipartite window at ground level, and a first-floor window above. An advanced section to the right has a ground-floor window and a tall window above lighting the staircase. The blank end of the lower 2-storey wing is located to the right.

The north elevation features the main block to the right, with three ground-floor windows and two first-floor windows offset to the left. An east wing is located to the left, comprising four ground-floor windows and three first-floor windows.

Timber sash and case windows are present throughout, with 2-pane upper lights on the north side, plate glass elsewhere, and multi-pane glazing to the staircase window, which includes coloured outer lights. The roof is grey slate, piended in style with wallhead stacks, shouldered and corniced, finished in grey ashlar to the north and south, and red sandstone with dressings to the east and east wing. Cast-iron rainwater goods are in place, with headers dated 1880.

The interior includes a vestibule with a tripartite door featuring etched glazing. Principal rooms boast rich and elaborate plaster cornices on the ground floor, timber panelling to window reveals, slender timber columns clasping arrises, classical marble fireplaces and interesting hinged brass curtain rails on the inside of doors. An intact butler's pantry remains on the ground floor.

Low, coped stone boundary walls border the front (west) and a small section to the northwest, with capped, square section gatepiers at the entrance and a similar corner pier on the northeast boundary wall. Rubble stone walls define the north and east boundaries. Brick out-houses and a later brick and harl piended roof garage are located to the northeast.