Hartfield Cottage, 48 Ayr Road, Cumnock

 Researched by Roberta

                                          Posted by John Inglis Hume on Old Cumnock Fb Page

                            Hartfield Cottage sat behind these railings. Note the Provost's Lamp.

Hartfield Cottage, 48 Ayr Road, sits back from the main road and at one time behind iron railings. It was known through the years for its beautiful gardens. To the rear flows the River Glaisnock on its way to merge with the River Lugar at the Dubb a short distance away. From the mid 1800s the cottage was owned by the McCowan family.

The 1874 Valuation Roll shows that the joint owners were William McCowan, manager of Portland Iron Works in Hurlford, the owner of a number of Iron and Steel companies and also a magistrate, and Robert McCowan, a bank teller in Helensburgh. These were the sons of John McCowan who was the tenant/occupier. John's mother's maiden name was Hart so the cottage appears to have been named after her.

 John McCowan, auctioneer and innkeeper of the Eagle Inn on the west side of the Square, was the 2nd Provost of Cumnock from 1878 until 1881. After his death at Hartfield Cottage in 1884 his daughter Jeanie Hart McCowan and her husband William Hill became the new owners. William Hill served on the Town Council from 1901 until 1911, becoming the 11th Provost of Cumnock in 1908.

Another daughter, Margaret, married Robert Dalglish Hunter in 1909 and their son Robert Dalglish Hunter would become Cumnock's Town Chamberlain in future years. Jeanie and William died at Hartfield Cottage in 1925 and 1927 respectively and ownership of the cottage went to their son Jack McCowan Hill. Jack, a writer and historian, wrote the publication Old Cumnock Banks and Shops. After he died in 1969 the cottage was derelict. It was bought by a local doctor's family who employed tradesman George Sloss to restore it.

Fiona Hunter from Old Cumnock Facebook Page

'We bought Hartfield from RD Hunter's family when it was going to be knocked down as it was fairly derelict. George Sloss restored it for us and I painted it. Old Mr Hill used to live in it and always had a beautiful garden. Dr Christie bought it from us and the garden is even more beautiful.'

Improvements to "Hartfield" 48 Ayr Road, Cumnock for Dr I Christie. Architect unstated, with signed approval by the Dean of Guild.  12 Dec 1973 (Ayrshire Archive)