The assembly rooms, erected in 1796 by a tontine sub scription of 201. shares, are situated on the north side of Ingram Street. From a rusticated basement story, a bold projection is formed at the centre of the building, which supports four Ionic columns, pilastres, and entablature. Various appropriate ornaments are introduced on the front, which terminate in a ballustrade. The interior consists of the assembly-room, card, supper, and retiring rooms, and apartments for the house-keeper, public kitchen, &c. The principal room, 80 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 27 feet high, is finished and fitted up with every requisite, in the most elegant manner. Mr James Adam gave the design of the principal or centre building. The wings, which are sepa rated from the main building by a colonnade wall, were built in 1807, from designs by Mr Henry Holland.
In 1788, the grammar school buildings, in Grey Friars \Vynd, were found to be insufficient for the purpose ; ac cordingly a new set were erected on the north side of George's Street in 1789. The front, which has a light cheerful appearance, consists of three compartments, the centre receding from the wings, in which large Venetian windows are formed. The interior is subdivided into a common hall, 70 feet long, and seven large well-aired rooms for the accommodation of the classes. At the back of the building, more than half an acre of ground is enclosed for the use of the students.
In 1791, the Faculty of physicians and surgeons, finding that their hall in the Trongate was not sufficiently com modious, erected buildings on the east side of St Enoch's Square. The front consists of two stories ; a rusticated basement supports a range of pilasters, entablature, and ballustrade. The interior consists of the faculty-hall, li brary, committee-rooms, offices, &c.
In 1795, government erected very spacious barracks on the north side, and near the east end of the Gallowgate. Exclusive of the guard-house, suttlery, infirmary, and ma gazine, there are three large buildings for the accommoda tion of the military : The centre is for officers : it is a hand some building, four stories high, having the royal arms in demi-relief, displayed in the tympan of the pediment. The other two buildings, placed at right angles from the centre one, are for the accommodation of the soldiers ; they con tain 72 apartments, fitted for 14 men each, exclusive of 24 kitchens. The whole is enclosed with a high wall, forming an extensive parade.
In 1810, the city guardhouse was removed from Candle riggs Street to the east side of Montrose-strect. Its front is formed with arched compartments, surmounted by a cornice and blocking. The interior contains ample accom modation for the officers and soldiers, and the piazza is suf ficiently spacious for the relief.
In 1789, a plain building, 106 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 6 stories high, was erected on the north side of Duke street, for the purposes of a bridewell ; it contains 126 cells, 8 feet by 7 feet, exclusive of a chapel and a large work room. On each side of the bridewell, spacious wings are formed at right angles, which contain the infirmary, public kitchen, keeper's lodgings, and rooms for raw materials for the manufactory, &c. The whole is enclosed within a wall.
The principal beef, mutton, and fish markets, are situa ted in King Street. The former occupies a space of 112 feet by 67 feet, and the latter 173 feet by 46 feet, subdi vided around the area into stalls. The courts are paved with free stone, and the fronts formed of ashlar work, with rusticated entries ; the beef-market in Bell Street being fitted up in a plainer style. The vegetable market is also done up into stalls, and is so spacious as to occupy the whole site of the former Wynd Church, having its principal entry from King Street. The butter, cheese, and poultry markets, are placed in Montrose Street. The tron, or weigh-house, is a large. building, situated at the east end of Ingram Street, and is used for the general purposes of a tron and store-house. Prior to the late erection of markets in the city of Newcastle, the markets in King Street were considered the best in the island. Each stall in the fish market has a water-pipe in it, and the other markets have a plentiful supply of water.
The slaughter house, situated a little to the south of the Bridgegate Street, was erected in 1810, and is the largest and most commodious in the island : it contains 77 killing rooms, two cattle-yards and alleys, and accommodation for the searchers and scavengers : it covers 4736 square yards of ground, which is all paved with square stones. Water pipes are placed along the whole of the killing rooms, and extensive sewers carry off every thing which would be come offensive.
The theatre in Dunlop Street being found inconvenient, and too small for the accommodation of the public, a mag nificent one was erected on the west side of Queen Street, in 1804, on the principle of transferable shares, of 251. each. The building is 158 feet long, and 70 feet wide, being con siderably larger than any of the provincial theatres. On the east front there are columns of the Ionic order, 30 feet high, with corresponding entablatures, and appropriate de vices. The interior is elegantly fitted up with every suita ble convenience, to accommodate 1500 persons, from de signs by Mr David Hamilton. The building and scenery cost upwards of 18,5001.