James Craig - Edinburgh, Scotland
N 55° 57.287 W 003° 11.046
30U E 488504 N 6201062
This marker about architect James Craig is located on the Old Observatory House, which he designed, on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Waymark Code: WMMCFV
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/31/2014
Views: 15
The marker reads:
This plaque was unveiled by
the Rt. Hon. Norman Irons
Lord Provost of Edinburgh
on 31st October 1994 the 250th
Anniversary of the Birth of
JAMES CRAIG
1744-1795
Planner of Edinburgh's
First New Town and the
Architect of this Building
The following information about James Craig is from Wikipedia:
"James Craig (31 October 1739 – 23 June 1795) was a Scottish architect. His brief career was concentrated almost entirely in Edinburgh, and he is remembered primarily for his layout of the first Edinburgh New Town.
Edinburgh New Town
Plans for a New Town, to ease overcrowding in the medieval Royal burgh of Edinburgh, had been suggested since the late 17th century. However, it was not until the middle of the 18th century that Lord Provost George Drummond succeeded in extending the town boundary to encompass the fields to the north of the Nor Loch. A competition was held in January 1766, in which six plans were entered. Craig's was considered the best, and he was awarded the prize; the Freedom of the City and a gold medal. However, his design was not initially considered suitable for construction, and was reviewed by a committee, including the architects John Adam and William Mylne, before Craig drew up the final version. This plan was presented to King George III in 1767.
The plan comprised a simple rectilinear arrangement of three parallel main streets (Princes Street, George Street and Queen Street) with a square at each end (St Andrew Square and Charlotte Square). Craig later amended his plan to include a large circus at the centre of the development, although this idea was never adopted. Construction began with St Andrew's Square in the east, and continued until after Craig's death, with Charlotte Square being completed in 1800. Craig was responsible only for the layout of the streets, and had no design input into the appearance of the new buildings.
Other works
His significant buildings included the Physicians' Hall (1773–1779) in George Street, for the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The cost of the building led to disagreements between the College and Craig, and, once built, the accommodation was found to be inconvenient. It was demolished in 1843, to be replaced by a banking hall by David Rhind. In 1775 Craig prepared plans for the new City Observatory on Calton Hill. The gothic tower, now known as Observatory House, was the only part to be completed before money ran out in 1777. The rest was finally finished in 1792, although this too was replaced, by William Henry Playfair in 1818."