The White House, 15 Upper Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh

The White House, 15 Upper Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh

Designed by M H Baillie Scott in 1899, this is a Grade A two-storey Arts and Crafts villa of asymmetrical L-plan form, often described as Voyseyesque in character. The building is harled and painted white with cream sandstone ashlar dressings. Windows are ashlar mullioned casements throughout, and the eaves are substantially overhanging. The roof is tiled red, with substantial harled coped chimney stacks that are slightly battered. Original rainwater goods feature Art Nouveau embossed decoration to hopper heads, including a date stamp on the head to the south elevation.

The entrance (north) elevation is the most complex, featuring a gabled entrance bay advanced to the outer left, a recessed bay to the centre, and a wide two-storey bay with attic storey off-centre to the right, with a single-storey services wing projecting to the outer right. The entrance doorway is set in a narrow semi-circular arched recess to the right of the gabled bay, with a single ashlar slab as a canopy held by a wrought-iron bracket above. The door is boarded with a red tiled porch and a tripartite half-glazed vestibule door with stained glass panels. A small bipartite window lights the gabled bay to the left. The centre of the elevation is recessed, containing a lean-to single-storey projection with a swept red tile roof and multi-partite window below the eaves; a four-light window appears at first floor above. The broad advanced bay to the right contains two multi-partite windows at ground level and three windows at first floor (the centre and right ones tripartite, the left one single). A tripartite attic window sits above. To the left return, a bipartite window appears at ground level, with a tripartite window to the right at first floor and a bipartite window to the left.

The east (Sinclair Street) elevation features a gabled bay to the outer left with an inglenook bay at ground level, set in an advanced chimney wall flanked by small bipartite windows. The chimney stack breaks the gable at the apex. A bipartite window lights the first floor to the left. To the right, a bipartite window appears at ground level, with a single-storey lean-to projection to the outer right containing small windows on the east and south elevations. A window to first floor sits above.

The south (garden) elevation is two storeys with attic, featuring a lop-sided three-bay gable off-centre to the left and a recessed bay to the outer left, with two bays to the right. The leftmost gabled bay contains small bipartite windows to the centre and right. The second gabled bay has small bipartite windows to the centre and right at ground level, with a distinctive semi-octagonal canted mullioned and transomed window (1-2-2-2-1 lights) wrapping around the left angle; a bipartite window sits at first floor to the centre, a small bipartite to the right, and a multi-partite to the left, with an attic window to the centre above. To the right, a multi-partite mullioned and transomed window at ground level is matched by a multi-partite window above. A canted mullioned and transomed window (2-3-2 lights) to the outer right is also matched by a multi-partite window above. The recessed bay to the outer left contains a tripartite doorway with boarded two-leaf doors flanked by small windows and a simple timber porch, with a multi-partite window above at first floor.

The west elevation is gabled, with a multi-partite window to the right at ground level. A flat-roofed two-storey canted bay to the left contains a window below the eaves at first floor, with the lower storey obscured by a wall.

The services wing and garage are positioned to the east of the main house. The east elevation contains a boarded door to the left with a later lean-to projection to the outer right. The north elevation is gabled with a bipartite window to the centre. A wall adjoining to the right obscures the east elevation, with a garage abutting to the north, featuring battered walls, two-leaf boarded doors, and a piended red tile roof. A flat-roofed dormer to the south has timber casement windows.

Most glazing retains lead panes in casement windows, with plate glass only to the lower panes of the south elevation. Art Nouveau stained glass windows are a significant feature throughout.

The interior is finely detailed with many original fixtures and fittings, including door furniture and chimneypieces of high quality. Timber work throughout includes wainscot, doors, and inglenook benches. Fine examples of stained glass appear in windows and internal partitions.

The vestibule and hall feature wainscot, timber cornice, and a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The living hall (originally full-height but unfortunately divided) contains a half-glazed tripartite door from the vestibule with lead-pane frosted glass panels and stained glass decoration. Wainscot runs around the walls. A red brick semi-circular arched chimneypiece is set in a brick wall with an embossed copper chimney hood above. Inglenook benches flank the chimneypiece, with a stained glass partition behind the bench to the left screening the stair. A timber-beamed ceiling completes the space.

The drawing room features wainscot and an inglenook set in a low-sprung arched recess with an ashlar chimneypiece and small flanking windows. A similar archway leads to a small en-suite with a door to the vestibule hall. A timber-beamed ceiling finishes the room.

The dining room contains wainscot and a brick chimneypiece with copper hood to an inglenook, flanked by timber benches. Stained glass decoration is a feature, along with a timber-beamed ceiling and frieze.

The stained glass was designed by Baillie Scott. In the living hall, clear glass panels with stained glass decoration appear to the stair screen and to the bipartite window to the south. In the dining room, clear glass is inset with curvilinear foliate and stylised floral panels to the bipartite window and fixed upper panes of the semi-octagonal canted window; similar treatment appears to the partition dividing the dining room from the former smoking room (now den). A stained glass panel to the vestibule door depicts a bust of 'Emperor Caesar Dimus Pius Felix Augustus', dated circa 1900, possibly designed by Norman MacDougal.

The boundary is marked by a red sandstone rubble wall with semi-circular coping and square gatepiers.