1 Albany Street

This tenement was the first building to be constructed in Albany Street, around 1802, and was one of the last built on the already developed East side of Duke Street (previous name for upper Dublin Street). The tenement was built by George Winton, a developer, architect and builder, who then lived in one of the flats with his wife and family. Winton was active in a number of the New Town building developments.

Originally Number 1 was four houses with the ground floor and basement entered from Albany Street (Number 1) and the three upstairs flats entered by a common stair from Duke [later Dublin] Street. Duncan and Elizabeth Macfarlane lived at Number 1. When they moved to Drummond Place, they retained the property and in 1823/4 applied for the ground floor and basement to be converted into shop areas, one with accommodation. [Left, original elevation and, right, conversion elevation - See: Edinburgh Dean of Guild Court 28 July 1823 Petitioner, Duncan Macfarlane). The architects, David and John Paton, carried out the conversion. (Thanks to Dr. Joe Rock, consultant historian, for this information) John and David Paton were father and son architects. John built many houses in the New Town including Great King Street and the family lived at Number 66. John worked with his father until 1833, when, following the death of his wife, he travelled to the United States. There he took on the design and construction of North Carolina State Capitol . He returned to Scotland and practiced in Edinburgh, though later he returned to the USA where he taught architecture.

This created one small ground-floor shop with an entrance on Duke Street and a commercial space entered from Albany Street, with accommodation at the rear. In 1839, the space was divided into two shops as confirmed by an advertisement for the sale of the property in that year: ‘large tenement, forming the corner of Albany Street and Dublin Street. Entering from Albany Street the First [gr0und] Floor contains two large and commodious shops, one having a small dwelling-house attached, and the three flats above form each comfortable dwelling-houses. There is also an under shop entering from Dublin Street.’

Later, the ground floor was converted back into one shop by George Wight. It is unclear if the linked accommodation continued to be used as such, for Wight lived with his family elsewhere. Confusingly, the address for Wight's butchers, as seen from the advert above, was Number 1 and 3, although there clearly was a separate house numbered 3 as well.

1804 – 1821 Duncan and Elizabeth Macfarlane

Advocate

1824 – 1826 Showroom of Andrew Stewart, House Decorator

1826 – 1830 Edward West’s Circulating Library

1830 – 1839 Thomas Caithness Circulating Library

1839 – 1865 Divided for a time into two shops of various trades

Bookseller, Bookbinders, McPherson’s Dairy, Grocers,

Poulterers, Housepainter, Confectioner, Cowfeeder and Fruiterer

1843 – 1892 George Wight - Flesher (Butcher)

Originally housed in one shop and then expanded to take both shops.

1892 – 1900 Hogg & Hogg, Butchers

Click here for information on residents.

For information on twentieth century residents Click here.