Rosewell Institute, Carnethie Street, Rosewell

The Rosewell Institute, built in 1917 by James McLachlan, is a classical-style miners’ institute designed in a Palladian arrangement. It consists of a two-storey, three-bay hall linked by a quadrant portico to single-storey pavilion wings. The main fabric is rendered, with red polished sandstone ashlar dressings. A base course, Doric columns to the portico, keystones over the first-floor openings, raised window cills, and an entablature to the portico are notable features. A raised corniced name and date tablet, carved with decorative details, sits centrally, with a string course to the central block, an eaves cornice, stylised banded quoins to the centre block, and channelled quoins to the pavilions.

The principal (northwest) elevation presents an advanced quadrant portico with paired columns at the centre and single outer columns. Three segmental-arched, keystoned doorways are flanked by banded columns, and feature architraved, timber-panelled double doors with small-pane glazing. A clock is positioned centrally on the floor above the portico, flanked by pairs of single windows. A window with a molded surround is located in the bay to the outer left of the quadrant wall. The pavilion wings accommodate full-height, round-arched windows flanked by pilasters projecting through the eaves within piend-roofed dormerheads, with keystoned single windows flanking.

The rear (southeast) elevation is symmetrical, featuring a four-bay central block with a pair of small windows and a larger window at ground level in the left and right bays. Windows are present on each floor in the outer left and right bays. A pavilion return is set back to the outer right, and the central block features a wide chimney breast with a window at each floor to the left, and a window at the first floor to the outer left.

A rendered infill with irregular fenestration is visible at the return angle to the left. A side (northeast) elevation is divided into a four-bay block and a set-back three-bay block. A keystone arch is centered, with a two-storey bay to the left, flanked by full-height pilasters. A timber-panelled door with flanking window is at ground level, with two windows above at the first floor. Two further windows are present in the bay to the right. A round-arched doorway is centered in the left block, with a timber-panelled door and fanlight above, and a window at the first floor. Each bay features a window on each floor.

The windows are primarily six- and eight-pane timber sash and case windows, some of which are boarded, with 25-pane fixed windows featuring semicircular lights above in the pavilion. The rear elevation has twelve-pane timber sash and case windows. The central block has a grey slate gambrel roof, while the pavilions have piended roofs with dormers sweeping at the eaves. A rendered, ashlar-coped stack is located on the left wing, and cast-iron rainwater goods are present.

The interior was damaged by fire in 1996 and the main hall has been subdivided by the insertion of a new floor. Original features include architraved and corniced doorways, a timber-panelled stage, panelled walls, and plain cornices to the pavilions. The roof structure of the main hall was not visible in 1996. Low sandstone rubble boundary walls are topped with a curved ashlar cope, and feature wrought iron railings and decorative gates.