Dumbarton Burgh Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dumbarton Burgh Hall |
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Dumbarton Burgh Hall
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| Location | Church Street, Dumbarton |
| Built | 1866 |
| Architect | Robert Grieve Melvin and William Leiper |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic Revival style |
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Listed Building – Category A
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| Official name: Burgh Hall, Church Street, Dumbarton | |
| Designated | 13 November 1981 |
| Reference no. | LB24874 |
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Dumbarton Burgh Hall is an important old building on Church Street in Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Today, it's the main office for the West Dunbartonshire Council, which is like the local government for the area. This building is so special that it's listed as a Category A building, meaning it's very important historically and architecturally.
Contents
History of Dumbarton Burgh Hall
Early Town Buildings
Long ago, the first main building for the town's leaders in Dumbarton was called a 'tolbooth'. It was built around 1645. This tolbooth had rooms for the town council (the local government) and a court. Later, the council room became a prison, and the court had to be shared.
By 1826, the old tolbooth was falling apart. So, the town council and the court moved to a new courthouse. This new building was designed in a classic, grand style called Neoclassical. The old tolbooth was then taken down in 1832.
Building the Burgh Hall
In the mid-1800s, the local school, Dumbarton Academy, needed more space. So, the town leaders decided to build a new place that would be both a town hall and a school. They chose a spot where an old building called College House stood.
The first stone for the new building was placed on June 23, 1865. It was designed by two architects, Robert Grieve Melvin and William Leiper. They used a popular style called Gothic Revival, which looks like old castles and cathedrals. The building was made from smooth, cut stone called ashlar.
Design and Features
The building was finished in two parts. The town hall part was ready in January 1866, and the school part in August 1866. The front of the building, facing Church Street, is very grand and balanced. It has a tall, four-story tower in the middle. This tower has an arched doorway, arched windows, and even a round "rose window" at the top. The tower also has small, eight-sided towers called turrets at its corners.
On either side of the tower, there are big windows with stone dividers, called mullioned windows. There are also special windows that stick out from the roof, called dormer windows. Inside, the ground floor rooms were used for the school. A hallway from the tower led to a big public hall at the back. There was also a smaller public hall on the first floor at the front.
Changes Over Time
The building had a fire on December 11, 1882, but it was fixed the next year. In 1903, the town council moved to a different building. The school also moved to a new location in 1914. For a short time, the primary school used the building again in the 1920s, but then moved out in 1937. After that, the whole building became a place for events and concerts. Famous singers, like the contralto (a type of female singer with a low voice) Kathleen Ferrier, performed there.
Restoration and New Purpose
In 1976, the Burgh Hall was badly damaged by another fire. After that, it was used for a short time as offices for an electricity company, but then it became empty and started to fall apart. In the early 1990s, some people wanted to tear the building down completely. However, the Scottish government said no in 1994.
Work began to make the building safe again in 2008. Most of the structure behind the front part was taken down. Then, in 2015, money was found from groups like Historic Environment Scotland to fully restore the building. A company called Lendlease started the restoration work, which cost about £15.7 million.
The project involved building a brand new structure behind the old front of the building. This new part is now the main offices for West Dunbartonshire Council. The council moved into their newly restored home in July 2018.
See also
- List of Category A listed buildings in West Dunbartonshire
- List of listed buildings in Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire
Images for kids
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The new offices at the rear of the Burgh Hall
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