Gazetteer of
British Place Names

Egyptian House is a 19th-century Egyptian Revival house in Penzance, Cornwall. The building in Chapel Street was built in a flamboyant style of Egyptian Revival architecture. Its striking exterior features pseudo-Egyptian elements, including lotus-bud capitals and sphinx-like adornments. It is one of the rare remaining examples of Egyptian Revival architecture in the UK. The current building dates from 1835 and it is thought that the architect was a John Foulston, who is credited for the design of the similar Classical and Mathematical School in Devonport, Devon. The design was inspired by the now-demolished Egyptian Hall that stood in Piccadilly, London, which itself was based on the Temple of Hathor in Egypt. The original owner of the Egyptian house was John Lavin, a mineralogist from Penzance. He housed his extensive mineral collection in the shop downstairs. After Lavin's death, the building was neglected and fell into disrepair by the 1960s. The Landmark Trust acquired the property in 1968 and undertook a complete restoration in 1973, bringing back its original brown and cream colour scheme. The house is within the council area of Cornwall.
Historic England Grade I Listed 1143147.

Place Type: Georgian House
Historic County: Cornwall
Lat, Long: 50.117801,-5.5362116
Grid Reference: SW 4730 3018
Civil Parish: Penzance CP
Council Area: Cornwall CA
Police Area: Devon and Cornwall PA

GBPN ID: 319525
Entry Type: Main listing (P)
URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Egyptian_House,_Cornwall_319525

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