Orangefield House

Orangefield House was originally known as Monkton House, and was built about 1690 by Samuel Neilson, mason to local landlord Dr Hugh Baillie. Described as one of the most substantial houses of the time, it had 40 windows, while nearby Adamton House, which still survives, has only 34.

Financial difficulties led to the sale of the house soon after completion, to James Macrae of Blackheath, who changed the name to Orangefield after William of Orange. Macrae had made his fortune in India, and purchased the house on his return to Monkton in 1731.^[1]^[2] It passed to his heir, Charles Dalrymple, in 1746, and then on to Charles' heir John, who regrettably enjoyed high living, squandered the family's fortune, and had to sell the house prior to his death in 1795.

The house was converted into a hotel in 1933, becoming a favoured stopping point for the early flyers of the time. It was then further adapted to suit the growing military airfield of RAF Prestwick during World War II, when a control tower was built through the roof in 1943. The public airfield continued to develop after the war, as as major transatlantic facility, Prestwick Airport, and by 1962 Orangefield House had been abandoned in favour of a purpose built control tower, supplemented by a new terminal building in 1964. The house was finally demolished in February, 1966, to make way for a new taxiway as Prestwick Airport continued to expanded.