1979 Janitors House at 124 Craig Street
“The Janitors House” is a detached stone built villa located at Auchinraith at 124 Craig Street. (which if my memory serves is the last house in Craig Street)
The two storey, pitched roof property was likely built in 1899 to coincide with the 1900 opening of the nearby school. Prior to that date, the house was simply a large open field, with a small sheepfold nearby to its intended location. The road was formerly called Slag Road, but by 1900 had been renamed to Craig Street. The house has had many owners over the years. For the larger part of its life though, it belonged to the county education authorities and then more latterly the county council. Whilst always lived in, by the late 1960’s, the house had fallen into disrepair and it took the Morrison family to buy it in 1970, completely renovating it. By the end of that decade, Peter Bownes and his family lived there in the late 1970s.
1950s Auchinraith Janitors School House
The house sits on an elevated position which commanded views over to the former Auchinarith Primary School itself. The house was immediately adjacent to the railway line and must have been noisy. It is a testament to how well it was built, to have survived without cracking being so close to the rail line. On the opposite side of the railway was the Auchinraith Co-op Bakery, which towered above the house and railway line. The house is pictured in 1979 courtesy of Peter Bownes and the 1950s’ colour photo courtesy of Sharon Morrison. (who shared the picture from an era before her family lived there)
It has recently been re-roofed in 2014 and I think will last for many more generations.
On social media:
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Catherine Campbell I thought that the head master of Auchinraith school lived there in the early 1960. I also recall when it was empty the kids from the local area me included used to sneak in and play hide and seek and tell ghost stories. I think it was the Morrison family who had a number of children and built a tree house in the big tree in the back yard they changed the lay out of inside the house but can’t recall exactly what was changed.
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Moyra Lindsay Mr Dunlop the head master lived there. The janitor lived in the street opposite High Blantyre Primary just off Hunthill Road. Trying to remember his name! Tall thin and had never laughed in his life I think,
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Tom Brown Was it Mr Potter
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Orlando Ancilotti Yes, it was the heidie, not the jannie, who lived there.
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Ross Haliburton There is a former teacher from auchinraith in it now. She has been there for 32 years or so.
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Gary Morrison The house was derelict for many years when my mum and dad bought it in 1970 but at £1200 (yes £1200 ) it was still an awful lot of house and a half acre football park for me.The only kids were myself and younger sister Sharon who came along in 1971( I note somebody said a number of children) .Mum and dad sold up in 76 after a
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Gary Morrison few break ins. The bottom photo is not from the 50s as noted but from approx 71/72.Oh and also incorrect to say the lay out inside was changed -simply renovated from top to bottom
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Hugh Waugh did John Mcdermot not stay in this house in the late 60s – English teacher in calder st
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Catherine Campbell Mr Dunlop was the name I recall living in the houseGary I thought the lay out had been changed but then I was young when we used to sneak in and play hide and seek the inside was dark and with us telling ghost stories it added to the mystery of the house. I was later in your house when you were doing the renovations, the front room on the left from the front door was having floor boards replaced it must have been your mum that was showing us around and of course it looked different in the day light. I lived around the corner in Hardie street and would have been about 10 when you moved in.
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Anne Callaghan I baby sat for Peter and Helen Bownes in the late 70’s early 80’s – lovely house !