The Rockville building that once stood on Napier Road resembled a mix between a Chinese Pagoda and a Victorian manor.
It was created by the famous architect, Sir James Gowans, in 1858, with the aim of housing himself and his wife. The Pagoda aspect came from the 64ft viewing tower to the side of the building, an incredibly striking and impressive feature.
Sir James, who was born in Blackness near Falkirk, was a well-known architect, railway engineer and quarry owner who made a habit of building his own residences.
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After the completion of his masterpiece, Gowans received a knighthood from Queen Victoria in recognition of his organisation of the 1886 Edinburgh International Exhibition.
The building also had features that resembled a Hansel and Gretel-style gingerbread house due to the chequerboard pattern of the façade.
The house consisted of three-storey's, with the viewing tower containing five. Views from the tower stretched beyond miles into the distance.
Inside the building, Gowans had used several rocks from every quarry in Scotland, with samples from as far away as China. Maybe the Chinese resemblance was something he was trying to capture all along.
Each roof dormer was created differently from the last and the variety of different window shapes and surrounds, the tall, elegant, chimney stacks and delicate design of the iron balusters provided something of a Gothic appearance.
The interior of the building was fitted with gas and hot water in all rooms and above the kitchen area was the motto: "Waste Not, Want Not."
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After being labelled as the "the embodiment of a Gothic novel", Gowans insisted that his creation was nothing more than an experiment and there was no desire to create novelty whilst designing the building.
In the mid-1960s. the decision to demolish the Rockville was greeted with much anger amongst the local community and conservationists. 2,500 signatures were signed on a petition to save the building, an impressive number at the time, but unfortunately, is was unsuccessful.
In 1966, the building was demolished, although the front pillars still remain. There were also gated with Gowans' initials that were removed as part of the demolition.
Three blocks of flats now sit on the site that Rockville once occupied, offering a lessened aesthetic impact from what had gone before.
