Kirriemuir Town House

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Kirriemuir Town House
Once the Town House (geograph 5049135).jpg
Kirriemuir Town House
LocationHigh Street, Kirriemuir
Coordinates 56°40′22″N3°00′15″W / 56.6728°N 3.0041°W / 56.6728; -3.0041
Built1604
Architectural style(s) Scottish medieval style
Listed Building – Category B
Official nameTown House, 31 High Street
Designated11 June 1971
Reference no.LB36812
Angus UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Angus

Kirriemuir Town House is a municipal structure in the High Street in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. The structure, which was used as a museum from 2001 to 2023, is a Category B listed building. [1]

Contents

History

The building was commissioned during the tenure of William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus who, as chieftain and ruler of the province of Angus, owned extensive estates across the area. [2] The building was designed in the Scottish medieval style, built in rubble masonry and was completed in 1604. It accommodated a lock-up for petty criminals on the ground floor and an assembly room for the burgh council on the first floor. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage facing north onto The Square, with an external staircase for access to the first floor in front of the middle bay. [3] In the mid-19th century, the town house was the place to which local weavers brought their cloth for examination by government inspectors; if the cloth met the required standard, it was stamped, the duty was taken and the weaver was paid. Weavers at that time included David Barrie, father of the novelist, J. M. Barrie. [4]

The building was repaired in 1835 and extensively remodelled by John Carver from Forfar in 1862. [5] The remodelling involved coating the building in red sandstone, the removal of the external staircase, the construction of a clock tower and the installation of a small clock in the clock tower. [6] Following the remodelling, the left-hand section, which was bowed, featured a segmental headed doorway in the central bay; on the first floor, there was a cross-window flanked by pilasters supporting a pediment which was decorated with finials. On the right, there was a three-stage crenelated clock tower with a doorway in the first stage, a blind panel in the second stage and clock faces in the third stage; the clock tower was surmounted by a pyramid-shaped roof and a weather vane. [7]

In the 1880s, the burgh council decided that the town house was too small for the administration of the burgh and they relocated to a new purpose built town hall in Reform Street in 1885. [8] In 1896, the town house was converted for retail use; [9] it initially operated as a post office but by the early 20th century, the bowed section was operating as a chemist and the clock tower accommodated a bookseller. During the second half of the 20th century, the condition of the building deteriorated. The council acquired the building from the then owner, the former Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, with the intention of improving the appearance of the High Street. [10]

In the late 20th century the building was restored and it re-opened as the Kirriemuir Gateway to the Glens Museum in 2001. Exhibits in the museum included memorabilia associated with the novelist, J. M. Barrie, the author, Violet Jacob, and the rock singer, Bon Scott, as well as an exhibition on the work of the geologist, Sir Charles Lyell. [11] [12] [13] Exhibits also included a silver casket containing the scroll which was presented to J. M. Barrie when he received the Freedom of Kirriemuir on 7 June 1930. [14]

After the managers, Angus Alive, handed the museum back to the local council, the museum closed in October 2023. [15]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Town House, 31 High Street (LB36812)" . Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "The Great Historic Families of Scotland: The Angus Douglases". Electric Scotland. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  3. ↑ Tolbooths and Town-houses Civic Architecture in Scotland to 1833. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. 1996. p. 211. ISBN   978-0114957995.
  4. ↑ Chaney, Lisa (2010). Hide-And-Seek With Angels: The Life of J.M. Barrie. Random House. ISBN   978-1409066996.
  5. ↑ "Kirriemuir Town House". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  6. ↑ The Scots Magazine. Vol. 90. D. C. Thomson. 1968. p. 148.
  7. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Town House, 31 High Street (LB36812)" . Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  8. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Reform Street, Town Hall and Library (LB36916)" . Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  9. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Kirriemuir, 31 High Street, Town House (32291)". Canmore . Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  10. ↑ "Kirriemuir". The Douglas Archives. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "Kirriemuir Gateway to the Glens Museum". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "Kirriemuir Gateway to the Glens Museum". Art Fund. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "Kirrimuir's Many Claims to Fame". The Courier and Advertiser. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  14. ↑ "JM Barrie silver casket on show in Kirriemuir". The Scotsman. 12 September 2013. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019.
  15. ↑ "What now for Brechin and Kirriemuir museums after curtain comes down on visitor season?". The Courier. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
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