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This drawing is part of a set of designs for Whitton Place, Middlesex, a villa begun in 1731 by Roger Morris (see drawings B1977.14.1138–44). In 1722, Archibald Campbell, first Earl of Ilay, later third Duke of Argyll, acquired forty acres of Crown land at Whitton, a hamlet about eight miles west of London. An experienced gardener, Ilay cultivated the land with exotic trees and plants. He and his brother John, second Duke of Argyll, were active builders from 1714 and often turned to James Gibbs for their commissions, including the greenhouse and folly at Whitton. Rather than the Tory Gibbs, however, Ilay commissioned the Whig architect Roger Morris. The small house was built on a forty-five-foot square plan with small single-bay projections on each of the four walls. Contemporary reports describe the first floor as decorated in chinoiserie and the ground floor as a museum of curiosities. William Chambers lived at Whitton Place later in the century. The building was demolished in the mid-nineteenth century.

The ground floor plan is part of a set of drawings for a five-bay, three story house with a slightly shouldered plan and flanking office wings. The attached wings are set behind loggias that extend out in a curve and terminate in three-bay pavilions. The plan shows the ground floor of the house and offices. The house has a spine corridor lit by windows at both ends. Rooms at the south side of the building do not have windows. The north-facing side of the building has windows and contains rooms for servants and an entrance to the court.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2014