Friendville

Friendville was built for Robert Balmanno in 1773 in the area of land known at the time as Balmanno's Field which was acquired a year early by Balmanno from the Rubislaw Estate and cultivated as farmland. Friendville was built at the edge of this land as a private residence for Balmanno where he stayed until 1798, when the house was purchased by Arthur Dingwall Fordyce. In the period between 1798 and 1952 Friendville changed hands a number of times but always remained a residential property, during this time large areas of the house were neglected and were allowed to deteriorate, particularly the grounds and the gardens of Friendville which became an eyesore in the affluent Mannofield…

Friendville house was built in the late 18th century before the mass expansion of the oil industry when Aberdeen was still sparsely populated and land was vast and relatively easily obtainable, as such Friendville was built as a country manor and the city of Aberdeen grew around it, particularly in the early 20th century as the oil industry grew to prominence. The architectural style of Friendville reflects the freedom of the countryside, the house is built with eloquent Georgian masonry and the 2 acres of garden inside the grounds of Friendville are segregated as was common in the Victorian era. The interior also reflects Victorian design, containing wooden beams and a feature wooden…