Municipal Buildings, Dumbarton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dumbarton Municipal Buildings |
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Dumbarton Municipal Buildings
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| Location | Glasgow Road, Dumbarton |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | James Thomson |
| Architectural style(s) | Scottish baronial style |
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Listed Building – Category B
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| Official name: Glasgow Road Municipal Buildings and Gatepiers | |
| Designated | 31 January 1984 |
| Reference no. | LB24881 |
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The Dumbarton Municipal Buildings is a special building in Glasgow Road, Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It's a beautiful old structure that is now used for important events like weddings. This building is so important that it's officially listed as a Category B listed building, which means it's protected for its historical value.
Contents
Building a New Town Hall
For many years in the late 1800s, the local town council (like a city government) met in a building called Dumbarton Burgh Hall. But they shared this building with Dumbarton Academy, a school. Because of this, the town leaders decided they needed their own special building.
They chose a spot on Glasgow Road where a house called College Park House used to be. This house belonged to a shipbuilding company. The house was taken down, and the land was given to the town council by a kind chemical maker named John White, 1st Baron Overtoun.
Work on the new building started in 1899. It was designed by an architect named James Thomson from Glasgow. He designed it in a style called Scottish baronial architecture, which looks a bit like an old Scottish castle. The building was made from red sandstone and was finished in 1903.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building has a unique design with many parts facing Glasgow Road. The middle part sticks out a little and has a three-story tower. This tower has a rounded doorway at the bottom and special windows higher up. The top of the tower has the town's coat of arms (its official symbol) and small, round towers on the corners. The tower roof is shaped like a pyramid.
On the left side, three sections also stick out slightly. One of these has a window that sticks out from the wall, called an oriel window. The roof above this part has a stepped shape with decorative tops called finials. The rest of the windows are simple casement windows.
Inside, the most important room was the council chamber, where meetings were held. It had beautiful windows with colorful glass showing ideas like science, truth, and justice. There was also a special stained glass window on the staircase to celebrate the Coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra, who became king and queen.
Monuments and Memories
In front of the building, a statue of a famous shipbuilder named Peter Denny was put up in 1902. It was made by a sculptor named Sir Hamo Thornycroft.
Other important monuments were placed nearby:
- Three Cannon: These cannons were captured during a war called the Third Anglo-Burmese War and were placed here when the building opened.
- Old Archway: A pointed arch from a very old church, the Collegiate Church of St Mary, was moved here. This church was built in 1454 but was taken down in the 1800s to make way for the Dumbarton Central railway station.
- War Memorial: A special memorial shaped like a Celtic cross was put up to remember local soldiers who died in the Second Boer War. It was designed by John Gilfillan and officially revealed on October 9, 1904.
Changes Over the Years
The building was the main office for Dumbarton Town Council until 1975. After that, a larger council, Dumbarton District Council, took over. They moved their main offices to Crosslet House but still used the Municipal Buildings for extra office space and held meetings in the council chamber there.
In 1996, local government changed again, and the building became part of West Dunbartonshire Council. In 2018, the building had a big makeover that cost £1.4 million. This included fixing the roof and restoring the council chamber. These updates made the building a modern place for staff to work and a lovely spot for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies.
See also
Images for kids
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The three cannon
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The Second Boer War Memorial (left, background) and the pointed arch from the Collegiate Church of St Mary (right, foreground)
