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House dating from the later 19th century built on the approximate site of Old Rubislaw House (NJ90NW0214) which dated from 1675. This new house, a gothic fantasy of a building that has always attracted much interest, was built as the townhouse of John Morgan, master mason and incorporated masonry from the old house. The older house had been demolished in 1886 when Queen's Road was being developed. John Morgan, 1844-1907, became an apprentice builder in 1862. In his long and varied career he was responsible for a number of notable buildings, including the frontage to Marischal College, the Guild Street Joint Railway Building, the Central Library and the Northern Insurance Building (known locally as the monkey house). He was also a councillor from 1885-1892, during which time he was involved in planning Rosemount Viaduct. Morgan, it is said, wanted to preserve the old building and included a carved lintel bearing the initials AF and date 1675 over the side entrance to his new house. Morgan also preserved the steps which had led to the front door of the older house; these were re-erected at the door of the conservatory of the new house (Morgan, Memoirs of John Morgan, p238). Rubislaw House was designed by the architect John Bridgeford Pirie in conjunction with Morgan. Pirie and Morgan were old friends who had collaborated many times together; of Pirie Morgan wrote that he was 'one of my closest friends and companions for many years.' The house cost £2500 in the end and had a feu duty of £15. The building of this house was very much part of the middle class expansion into what would become the west end suburbs of Aberdeen. In many ways John Morgan was a key part of this process: he was responsible for building new villas for the affluent classes at Argyll Place, Argyll Crescent, Westburn Drive and Hamilton Place. Today the house stands very much as when Morgan built it; although it has now been divided into three flats. Of the house Morgan wrote: 'Both Mr Pirie the Architect, and myself, put so much of ourselves into the details and arrangements of this work, that I shall be sorry to exchange it for any other, till the time comes when we must go to the house not made with hands.' The present house is 2-storey and attic of coursed rough-faced granite ashlar finely finished to the margins of the southeast elevation, Aberdeen bond granite to the remainder. There is a commemorative plaque on the house to the master mason John Morgan who built and lived in the house.
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Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Aberdeen City
HER -
NJ90NW1159 - RUBISLAW HOUSE, 50 QUEEN'S ROAD, ABERDEEN