Campbeltown Town Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Campbeltown Town Hall |
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Campbeltown Town Hall
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| Location | Main Street, Campbeltown |
| Built | 1760 |
| Architect | John Douglas |
| Architectural style(s) | Italianate style |
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Listed Building – Category B
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| Official name: Main Street, Town Hall, including lamp standards | |
| Designated | 20 July 1971 |
| Reference no. | LB22918 |
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Campbeltown Town Hall is an important old building located on Main Street in Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It's used for many community events and is considered a special historic place, known as a Category B listed building. This means it's protected because of its history and architecture.
Contents
A Look Back: The Town Hall's Story
The very first town building in Campbeltown was a tolbooth. This was a type of old town hall that often included a prison. It was built in the 1600s. This first building had a prison on the ground floor. Above it, on the first floor, was a room for meetings and gatherings.
By the mid-1700s, the old tolbooth was falling apart. The town's leaders, called the burgh council, decided to tear it down. They wanted to build a brand new town hall in the same spot.
Building the New Town Hall
Building the new town hall cost a lot of money. The town paid for it in a few ways. People living in the town paid an annual tax. The town also borrowed money. Local groups, like the freemasons' lodge, and the Commissioner of Supply, also gave money.
The new building was designed by an architect named John Douglas. It was made from ashlar stone, which is finely cut stone. The building was finished in 1760.
What the Town Hall Looked Like
The front of the building, facing Main Street, was designed to be balanced. It had three main sections, called bays. The middle section stood out with a tall, eight-sided tower.
- The bottom of the tower had a round doorway.
- Above that, there were more round windows.
- Higher up, there were round openings, like small circular windows, at the main compass points.
- Even higher, there were flat panels and then spaces for clocks and statues.
- At the very top, there was a wooden spire and a weather vane.
The sections on either side of the tower had short, round windows on the ground floor. On the first floor, they had tall, round windows. Inside, the ground floor held prison cells. The first floor was a large assembly hall for meetings.
Changes Over Time
The original wooden spire on the tower was replaced in 1778. A stone spire was built instead, designed by John Brown. In 1779, a clock was added to the tower. It was made by John Townsend, and a bell was also installed.
In 1848, the prison cells on the ground floor were no longer used. The prisoners were moved to a new prison in Castlehill. Later, in 1866, the building was made bigger. An extra section was added to one side. This new part had a grand entrance with columns. Above the entrance, there was a round window with the town's coat of arms.
The inside of the building was also changed. The old prison cells were turned into a special room for the town council to meet. The Town Hall continued to be the main meeting place for the town's government for many years. However, in 1975, a larger council was formed, and the building was no longer the main government office.
Modern Updates and Community Use
In 2014, a group called the South Kintyre Development Trust took over the building. They started a big project to fix it up. The work was finished in 2016 and cost about £2 million.
During this update, the ground floor was changed into offices. A new lift was put in to reach the assembly hall on the first floor. Many different groups helped pay for these changes. These included Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Thanks to these updates, the assembly hall can still be used for many community events. The project was very successful and even won an award in 2016!
See also
