Edinburgh, 12, 14, 16 Frederick Street

137. Frederick Street.

In the 1767 version of Craig's plan this street appears as "Queen Street" but, at the suggestion of Sir John Pringle, physician to George III, the name was altered in compliment to Frederick, Duke of York. The buildings are roughly contemporary with those in Hanover Street, as more than half of them had already been erected by 1780. The remainder approached completion by 1795. Apart from a few self-contained houses, they comprised maindoor houses and flats. The majority have survived, although in many cases the lower part has become a shop and in some instances a storey has been added. The survivals on the E. side include Numbers 3, 9, 15, 17, 19, 25, 27, 29-31, 37-39, 43-45, 47, 51-55, 57-61, and 63, while those on the W. side are Numbers 4-10, 12-16, 18, 20-22, 24, 26, 34, 42, 46-50 , 52A, 54-56, 58-62, 64 and 66. Of these Numbers 12-16 and 58-62 have a circled bay at each end. Number 51 has a channel-jointed zone at the street level and a good Doric porch; Number 37-39 has an Ionic porch; while Number 45 has an Ionic arcade at street level which, however, may not be original. Apart from these, the house-fronts are plain, usually faced with droved ashlar and some having projecting quoins. Internally the houses generally resemble those in the neighbourhood and none of them merits a detailed description.

RCAHMS 1951, visited c.1941