John Baxter (architect)

John Baxter (c. 1737 – 14 July 1798)[1] was a Scottish architect who was active in the second half of the eighteenth century.

Baxter became known amongst the expatriate artistic community in Rome, and entered a number of architectural competitions during his time there; in March 1766 he was inducted into the Academy of St Luke as an honorary member.

[4] Baxter and his father were both protégés of Sir John Clerk, and while in Rome he became acquainted with Alexander Runciman, another friend of Clerk's; a painting of 1767, currently in the Vatican's collection, depicts the two Baxter brothers with Runciman, alongside another artist (thought to be Henry Fuseli).

[4] Upon returning to Scotland, Baxter took over his father's business, working both as an architect and a building contractor.

He worked for the Duke of Gordon in his creation of the planned town of Fochabers, including the design for Bellie Kirk,[5] made improvements to Cullen House for the Earl of Findlater,[6] and also speculated in housebuilding in Edinburgh, where he died in 1798.