74 Eglinton Street, Beith

This is an early 19th century building located on Eglinton Street, Beith. It is a two-story structure with three wide bays, displaying a central, pilastered doorpiece with a raised blocking course above, and four windows on the first floor. The exterior is painted ashlar, with raised and painted ashlar window margins and angle detailing, and an eaves course.

The rear elevation is elevated, accessed by stone steps with cast-iron railings leading to a central door. This rear elevation has a tripartite window to the right and a smaller window to the left, both dating from around 1900. The rear is harled with modern cement, but retains exposed ashlar margins.

The building has timber sash and case windows; the ground floor windows are 4-pane, while the first floor originally had plate glass. A 1979 photograph shows the first floor windows were previously 12-pane. The roof is covered with grey slates, and features a harled brick end stack with circular clay cans. A stone ridge is present. A 1979 photograph indicates that a decorative original square, coped ashlar central wallhead stack, topped with tall circular clay cans, has since been removed.

The original interior scheme remains, although there have been alterations to the ground floor around 1900, including the replacement of original fireplaces with 1940s tiled surrounds. The hall features a decorative cast-iron balustrade to the staircase with a mahogany handrail, and a cornice. The principal ground floor room, likely a former dining room, has a cornice and ceiling rose, along with dark woodgrain effect finishes to the doors and window embrasures. The large first floor rooms at the front have recessed beds, while original cupboards and panelled doors with six fields remain throughout.

The building exhibits successful proportions and symmetry, with a subtle window spacing. The loss of the central wallhead stack is regrettable, as it served as a focal point, complementing the classical doorpiece and the first floor windows above it. These stacks are a characteristic feature of buildings from this period in Ayrshire and southwest Scotland. The interior layout is noteworthy, with smaller rooms at ground level to the front accommodating a larger principal room that takes advantage of views of the surrounding countryside. The larger rooms upstairs at the front were used as living space, with beds recessed into the walls and smaller rooms at the rear used for additional space. The building is marked on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858.