Stair Park

The mansion house of Stair Park stood within extensive grounds on the north side of Edinburgh Road, Tranent. Built in 1890 by Messrs. Francis Cooper and Sons the £7,000 building was inspired by old English mansion houses and was finished in fine quality Dumfries red freestone.

Stair Park belonged to Mr. Mitchell, proprietor of Portobello Brick Works before being sold to Mrs. Durie of Albany Street, Edinburgh. Shortly before the outbreak of World War I the then vacant house was destroyed by Suffragettes as part of their 'votes for women' campaign. The Tranent people were apparently, indignant that 'so fine a building should have been sacrificed to petty political spite'. Fire units which consisted of burgh employees were called but were incapable of handling such an exceptional blaze. Their limited resources consisted of a barrow tender with a hosepipe.

In 1923 the Roman Catholic Church authorities acquired the ground, with the intention of building a new Church. Subsidence from coal workings had caused the old church to disintegrate and after it was condemned the Church recognised the need for a new building. However Stair Park was subsequently rejected for another site on Haddington Road and the ruins stood as the 'burnt hoose' for over forty years before a builder acquired the estate and built private housing.