Commercial Bank And Manager's House, Main Street, Lybster

This is a late 19th century commercial bank and manager’s house, likely designed by J Russell Mackenzie. The building is situated on Main Street in Lybster and presents a symmetrical appearance with both its east (Main Street) and south facing facades being noteworthy. It is constructed from coursed rubble stone with contrasting, tooled sandstone dressings.

The east elevation has a wide three-bay frontage. The central bay is recessed and rises to form a pyramidal tower, which extends one storey above the wallhead. The tower features a gabled dormer window with a finial and decorative cast-iron cresting at the top. A corniced doorway centres the elevation, while flanking bays contain three closely set round-headed windows with keystones, and paired flat-headed windows on the first floor.

The south facade also has a three-bay frontage. A central round-headed, keystoned doorway, recessed in a corniced and slightly advanced porch, is flanked by small side lights. Paired round-headed, keystoned windows are found in the outer bays, with similar flat-headed windows on the first floor. A slightly set-back, two-storey single-bay wing extends to the left (west). A string course links all ground floor windows at the impost level.

Inside, the banking hall features an ornate plaster ceiling cornice. The original panelled counter remains, complete with panelled side screens and a sloping counter top.

The property is surrounded by a low coped garden wall, bordered by a pair of square ashlar gate piers topped with pyramidal caps. Cast-iron spearhead railing and a matching pedestrian gate are present. Similar gate piers mark the north entrance to the rear of the bank. The building was formerly the Aberdeen Town and County Bank.