Sylvan House

On the way home from church we passed near Sylvan House, No.13 Sylvan Place.

Wealthy C18 residents of the city built holiday houses, referred to as 'Huts', south of the Borough Loch in an area which was wooded and leafy in contrast to the crowded and confined space of the city. Built around 1740 for advocate and Town Clerk Joseph Williamson, Sylvan House (or Sylvan Hut) appears in early records as William's Hut, built in the grounds of (now demolished) Leven Lodge.

A plaque on the south wall indicates that in the late 1700s the house was occupied by Joseph Black, the discoverer of carbon dioxide and latent heat.

The present owner was in the garden so I asked permission to photograph the house; he was more than willing, providing several interesting facts and also invited us to see the interior. He indicated the original wood panelling and intricate bannisters that previous owners had painted white, to his regret as these would be very difficult to restore, also an original door which had suffered from chemical stripping, however he is currently restoring the shutters by hand. It is good to see that such an interesting house appears to be in safe hands.