The White House (sometimes written The Whitehouse) is a former roadhouse on Niddrie Mains Road (at its junction with Craigmillar Castle Loan) in Edinburgh, Scotland, now used as a community café and volunteering centre.
History
The White House was one of a number of roadhouses developed in Edinburgh in response to the growth of the motor car.[7] It was designed by architect William Innes Thomson of the firm W N Thomson and Co for Jemima Hood Gair.[1][4][5][8] Gair's fifteen year old daughter convinced her to request a Moderne design.[3] The White House opened on 18 October 1936.[1][4][5][8] It is a two-storey irregular-plan International Style and Modern building with Art Deco detailing;[1] its lounge barbay window has been compared to that of the card room of the RMS Queen Mary.[9] The ground floor of the building featured a public bar, saloon bar, tea room, and skittle alley, while the first floor featured a billiard room and lounge bar.[1]
The White House was popular due to the shortage of public houses in the Craigmillar and Niddrie neighbourhoods of Edinburgh.[3] It later evolved from a roadhouse into a public house owned by Tennent Caledonian Breweries.[7] By the 1970s, it was known for its "happy-go-lucky" clientele.[9] In 1995, The White House was granted category 'B' listed status by Historic Scotland.[1]
The White House fell into decline in the late 20th century, eventually closing in 2000.[7][9] It was added to the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland in 2004.[10][11] In 2005, the building was the subject of a major fire[7][9] which destroyed its skittle alley.[3]
In 2007, The White House was acquired from receivers by PARC Craigmillar, an arm's length company of the City of Edinburgh Council.[8][11][12] After grants were awarded from Historic Scotland and the Scottish Government's Town Centre Regeneration Fund, a c.£1.85 million (equivalent to £3.24 million in 2023) restoration of The White House began in April 2010 and completed in March 2011.[8][10] The works saw the building envelope restored, improvements made to the roof and windows, and repairs to internal elements such as the cornices and staircase,[2] while art deco elements of the interior were restored.[13] The architect for the renovation was Smith Scott Mullan and the principal contractor was Thomas Johnstone.[2] On 18 September 2013, The White House was formally reopened as a community café, art space, and volunteering centre.[7][14] It is operated by the Community Alliance Trust - a local charity - under a lease from PARC Craigmillar.[10]
