19 West Brighton Crescent, Portobello, Edinburgh

This is a pair of classical style houses located at 17 West Brighton Crescent, Portobello, Edinburgh, built around 1824 by John Baxter of Portobello. The houses are rectangular in plan, two storeys high with a basement to the rear, originally six bays wide, and later extended with single-storey pavilions on either side, constructed around 1970 in the case of No. 19.

The facades are largely constructed of polished ashlar stone to the ground and first floors, with channelled detailing at ground level. The basement and rear elevations of both houses, and a later extension to the southeast of No. 19, are of droved ashlar; a square, rendered extension exists to the northwest of No. 17. The rear elevation of No. 17 and the southeast elevation of the pair are harled, with rubble stonework to the rear of both houses. A band course runs between the ground level and the first floor, and another between the ground and first floors. There is also a cill course to the first floor, a cornice, a blocking course, and coping to the extensions.

The main (northeast) elevation features steps leading to the original panelled front doors, with a cast-iron handrail. Above the doors are rectangular plate glass fanlights and windows. Windows are present on each floor of the intermediate bays. Extensions to the southeast and northwest feature a blinded window and a garage door, respectively.

The rear elevation is asymmetrical and projects slightly in front of No. 19. It includes a boarded basement door, windows on both the ground and first floors, and a modern glazed front door with a multi-paned fanlight. A cast-iron balcony is situated on the first floor. No. 19 has a later extension to the right, with ground floor and first-floor windows.

The houses have 12-pane timber sash and case windows, except for a 4-pane window centrally on the rear elevation of No. 19. The roofs are covered with grey slate, with a platform at the apex. The extensions have mono-pitched roofs. Chimneys are constructed with harled and coped stacks to the front and rear, a rendered wallhead stack to the southeast, and a harled, shouldered stack to the rear of the southeast elevation.

Internally, No. 17 retains original cornices and shutters; a black marble fireplace is in the front right room. A cast-iron banister staircase is present, alongside an original ceiling rose in a first-floor room at the rear. Heavy plasterwork with classical motifs adorns the vestibule. The interior of No. 19 was not inspected in 1994.

Boundary walls are rendered with coping to the front of No. 17, originally with railings, and of droved ashlar with coping to No. 19. Tall rubble garden walls enclose the rear gardens.