44 Eglinton Street, Beith

This is an early 19th century villa-style dwelling, now a terraced property, located on Eglinton Street in Beith. Originally designed as a standalone house, it has been converted into three flats. The exterior is two storeys with three bays, and features a notably impressive, original doorpiece. This doorpiece consists of engaged Ionic columns supporting an entablature, framing a recessed timber panelled door between pilasters. Above the door is a fanlight with original glazing, and a small, later window to the right. The building has a base course, moulded cill courses to the architraved first-floor windows, outer pilasters supporting a moulded cornice and blocking course, and a small central pediment with a stack at its apex. The exterior is constructed of painted ashlar.

The rear elevation has three bays, with a small, later window at ground level to the left and another to the first floor to the right. A central forestair with cast-iron railings leads to the rear entrance. A lower basement level is also present, and a modern, continuous dormer has been added. This rear elevation is built of rubble with dressed ashlar margins.

The interior features a common close leading to the three flats, with a curved stone staircase ascending to the first floor. The upper flat retains original timber-panelled window embrasures and an original Regency reeded chimney piece made of green fossiliferous marble with cream-coloured corner roundels. Original timber panelled doors are also present, exhibiting horizontal and vertical fields, along with reeded architraves.

UPVC windows now replace the original timber sash and case windows with 12 panes per sash. The roof is covered in grey slates, with a stone roof ridge and a flat skew to the left.

The building represents an excellent example of a villa-style flatted dwelling, reflecting a period of prosperity and architectural confidence in Beith. The classical doorpiece is considered to be one of the best and rarest surviving examples in the town, and the original timber panelled front door remains. The building’s condition is currently poor and it has undergone inappropriate alterations, including the addition of box dormers and the replacement of windows with UPVC frames. The front elevation was likely originally intended to be exposed dressed ashlar, but is now painted or rendered. The property is marked on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858.