Archbald Moffatt House, in Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway, was built in 1751, and is a rare survivor that predates Moffat’s redevelopment in the latter part of the 18th century as Scotland’s most significant spa town. At the time the house was built Moffat was at the height of its fame. Archbald Moffatt was a weaver and Kirk Elder, and the vernacular two-storey-plus-attic townhouse he built on a prominent part of Townhead, on what was then called the Kings Highway, reflected the social standing and occupation of the owner. The reason the house escaped demolition and redevelopment was because, unlike most of the town, it was not part of the Annandale Estate which came under the control of the 2nd Earl of Hopetoun in 1758. The house and its outbuildings have undergone few changes since their construction having had three owner-occupiers since 1751,
the building being let from the late 18th century until 1986.
In recent years the house has undergone a program of sympathetic restoration and conservation, and its interiors furnished to reflect the period origins of the property. For further discussion on the history of Archbald Moffatt House, see Scottish Vernacular Building Working Group, National Museums of Scotland, Vernacular Buildings 43 (2020).
Here we take a look at just a few of the highlights from the select property of Archbald Moffatt House included in our February 2021 Five Centuries auction...
LOT 90 | SCOTTISH GEORGE III MAHOGANY CHEST OF DRAWERS, ATTRIBUTED TO WILLIAM BRODIE | 18TH CENTURY
LOT 91 | GEORGE III MAHOGANY FOUR POSTER BED | LATE 18TH CENTURY
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