George Washington Browne

Sir George Washington Browne FRIBA (21 September 1853 – 15 June 1939) was a British architect. He was born in Glasgow, and trained there and in London. He practiced mainly in Edinburgh, where he designed a number of large public and commercial buildings (the British Linen Bank being a frequent client), although his work is found throughout Scotland and Britain.

He began his career as an architect in around 1869, when he was 16, with the office of Salmon Son & Ritchie. Following completion of his articles in 1873, Browne moved to London in 1875, and joined the Architectural Association. He worked at the practice of Stevenson & Robson for two years, and then moved to the office of Arthur Blomfield. In 1877 he won the Pugin Studentship, funding travel and study in France and Belgium. After a time working for William Eden Nesfield, he returned to Scotland in 1879 to work for Robert Rowand Anderson, becoming Anderson's partner in 1881.

In 1885, Browne established his own independent practice, and two years later won the competition for Edinburgh Central Library, on George IV Bridge. At this point he took on Stewart Henbest Capper as his assistant, who stayed with him until 1891. His Braid Chiuch in Nile Grove, Edinburgh was built in 1886. After being commissioned to design the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in 1892, he entered into partnership with John More Dick Peddie in the mid-1890s. The partnership designed a number of bank branches, particularly for the British Linen Bank, as well as the Caledonian Hotel (1898-1903), and the main building of Edinburgh College of Art (1906). Following this period of success, the partnership was dissolved in 1907, and Browne had a lean period, during which he only carried out one significant building, the YMCA in St Andrew Street, Edinburgh (1914). He did win competitions for the Edward VII Memorial Gates at Holyrood Palace, and for St Paul's Bridge in London, although the former was not built until 1922, and the latter was not built at all.

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