Stevenson House

Stevenson House is a plain quadrangular house of three storeys built round a courtyard, apparently in the early 17th century. A moulded doorway of that period leads into one of the three - originally four - turnpike stair towers in the internal angles, and there are glass checks in the upper parts of some of the window reveals on the E side. (Dunlop considers that these checks indicate that the main structure of the house dates from about 1560.) Externally, the house appears late Georgian, and any other evidence of earlier work has disappeared under the harling which covered all except the pair of ashlar bows built about 1820 on the S front. About that time corridors were formed round the inner sides of the courtyard. The house was repaired and restored in 1946-50 and the early 19th century laundry wing (some of which may be the remains of a building older than the mansion house) and coach house were repaired and converted to separate houses in 1952 and 1956.
Stevenston, originally 'Stevenstoun' is mentioned in a charter granted to the Cistercian nunnery at Haddington (NT57SW 10) in 1359. There is evidence of a house of some sort dating from that period, and in a charter of Robert II the lands of Stevenstoun were gifted to 'William de Douglas of Straboc' with the consent of the prioress and nuns of Haddington. The 'fortalice' of Stevenston was razed by Hertford in 1544. The medieval establishment at Stevenston probably covered a larger area than the present house as old foundations were uncovered some years ago when laying an electric cable about 50 yds W of the existing building. Moreover, many stones are invariably met with whenever and wherever any new development in the garden is undertaken.
J C H Dunlop 1971; C McWilliam 1978