John Alexander Carfrae (1868–1947) was a Scottish

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

of particular note in the field of innovative school design. He was considered one of the best architects of his generation, but his works were rather limited as he was constrained to the standard board school formats.

Life

George Watsons War Memorial by J A Carfrae

Broughton Primary School, McDonald Road Building

Born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

the son of Thomas Carfrae, a civil engineer. He was the younger brother of George Somervil Carfae, also a civil engineer. The family lived at 9 Osborne Terrace in Edinburgh's West End. He was educated at

James Gillespie's High School James Gillespie's High School is a state-funded secondary school in Marchmont, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a comprehensive high school, educating pupils between the ages of 11 and 18, situated at the centre of Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle and Holy ...

. Carfrae was articled in 1881 to Robert Wilson, architect for the Edinburgh School Board. In 1889 he moved to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

to be an assistant to

Arthur Cawston Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

, but transferred to HM Office of Works to work under Henry Tanner. In June 1892 Carfrae returned to Edinburgh to work in

Sydney Mitchell Arthur George Sydney Mitchell (7 January 1856 – 13 October 1930) was a Scottish architect. He designed a large number of bank branches, country houses, churches, and church halls. His most significant commissions include the housing develop ...

and Robert Wilson's practice. Six months later, Carfrae became Wilson's principal assistant and he took over most design work. When Robert Wilson died in 1901, Carfrae inherited both his office and the full role as architect to the Edinburgh School Board. In 1918 local government practices changed, and the City Architect became responsible for school design, resulting in Carfrae losing his practice. However, the city architect

Ebenezer James MacRae Ebenezer James MacRae (18 January 1881 – 15 January 1951) was a Scottish architect serving as City Architect for Edinburgh for most of his active life. Life He was the son of Rev Alexander MacRae of the Free Church of Scotland. To family ...

still passed him two commissions: for Balgreen and Stenhouse schools. From 1907 until death he lived in Polwarth, Edinburgh, at 3 Gillsland Road. He lived here with his wife, Augusta Wilkes Henderson, and their two sons. Carfrae retired completely in 1939. He died on 11 July 1947.

Works

Carfrae worked largely for the Edinburgh School Board. Even before he completely took control of this design function, his style is clear, acting as Chief Assistant within the office.Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh by Gifford McWilliam and Walker *

Bruntsfield Bruntsfield is a largely residential area around Bruntsfield Place in Southern Edinburgh, Scotland. In feudal times, it fell within the barony of Colinton. Location Bruntsfield Place is less than south on the A702 main road from the West e ...

Primary School, Montpelier, Edinburgh (1893-5) *

Annexe, Upper Gilmore Place, Edinburgh (1895) *Villas, 18,20 Inverleith Place, Edinburgh (1897) (uncharacteristically plain) *

Flora Stevenson Flora Clift Stevenson (30 October 1839 – 28 September 1905) was a British social reformer with a special interest in education for poor or neglected children, and in education for girls and equal university access for women. She was one of t ...

School, Comely Bank,

(1899-1900) *

Craiglockhart Craiglockhart (; gd, Creag Longairt) is a suburb in the south west of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying between Colinton to the south, Morningside to the east Merchiston to the north east, and Longstone and Kingsknowe to the west. The Water of Leith i ...

Primary School (1901) *Original

Boroughmuir High School Boroughmuir High School is a non-denominational secondary school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Buildings It was founded in 1904, and located at 22–24 Warrender Park Crescent, overlooking Bruntsfield Links, in a building designed by John Alexande ...

, Warrender Park Crescent, Edinburgh (1902) *Broughton Primary School Annexe (1902) *Broughton School Annexe, McDonald Road,

(1903) *Albion Road School (built as Leith Academy Annexe) (1903) *Office, 5 St Andrew Square,

(1903, demolished 2014) *Drummond Street School (built as St. Patrick’s RC School),

(1905) *Colinton Cottage Homes (for the Church of Scotland, Aged Christian Friendly Society), Redford Road and Thorburn Road,

Colinton Colinton ( gd, Baile Cholgain) is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated south-west of the city centre. Up until the late 18th century it appears on maps as Collington. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north ...

(1906-7) *

Dirleton Dirleton is a village and civil parish in East Lothian, Scotland approximately east of Edinburgh on the A198. It contains . Dirleton lies between North Berwick (east), Gullane (west), Fenton Barns (south) and the Yellowcraigs nature reserve, ...

School (1910) *

Juniper Green Juniper Green is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated about south-west of the city centre. It bridges the city bypass, and extends along the foothills of the Pentlands. It is bordered by Colinton to the east, Baberton i ...

Primary School (1910) *Duncan Street Special School,

(1910) * Tynecastle High School, Edinburgh (1910–11) *

, Viewforth, Edinburgh (1911) (sculpture by Joseph Hayes) *Tollcross School,

(1911) *Remodelling of Cannonball House on the

Royal Mile The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...

as a school (1913) *St Thomas Aquinas School (also known as King’s Park School or St. Leonard’s School),

(1913) *

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

School, West Lothian (1914) *School War Memorial,

George Watson’s College George Watson's College is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871, and was merge ...

(1920) *

Drummond Community High School Drummond Community High School (DCHS) is a non-denominational secondary school built originally in 1925 by John Alexander Carfrae which serves the area of north east Edinburgh. Drummond Community High School is on Bellevue Place and was origina ...

(Bellevue School),

(1923) *

Hawick Hawick ( ; sco, Haaick; gd, Hamhaig) is a town in the Scottish Borders council area and historic county of Roxburghshire in the east Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-south-east of Selkirk. It is one of ...

High School (1926) *Stenhouse Primary School, Edinburgh (1929)

References

*Who's Who in Architecture 1914 {{DEFAULTSORT:Carfrae, John Alexander 1868 births 1947 deaths Architects from Edinburgh