Darvel Town Hall

Darvel Town Hall
Darvel Town Hall
Location	West Main Street, Darvel
Coordinates	55°36′35″N4°16′56″W / 55.6098°N 4.2823°W / 55.6098; -4.2823
Built	1905;118 years ago (1905)
Architect	Thomas Henry Smith
Architectural style(s)	Neoclassical style
Listed Building – Category B
Official name	Town Hall And Library, 10-12 West Main Street, Darvel
Designated	5 October 1992
Reference no.	LB24493
Shown in East Ayrshire

Darvel Town Hall is a municipal building in West Main Street, Darvel, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a library and a community events venue, is a Category B listed building. ^[1]

History

Following significant population growth, largely associated with the manufacturing of curtains and carpets, Darvel became a police burgh in 1872. ^[2] Initially, the burgh council had no dedicated meeting place but, in the late 19th century, they decided to procure a town hall. The site they selected was vacant land on the north side of West Main Street. ^[3] The building was designed by Thomas Henry Smith in the neoclassical style, built in red sandstone and was completed in 1905. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with seven bays facing onto West Main Street. The central section of five bays, which slightly projected forward, featured a central round-headed opening with a moulded surround and a keystone flanked by brackets supporting a balcony. The other bays on the ground floor were fenestrated by segmental-headed sash windows with keystones, while the bays on the first floor were fenestrated by mullioned and transomed windows, which were separated by pilasters. The outer bays contained round headed doorways on the ground floor and narrow transomed windows on the first floor. At roof level, there was a balustraded parapet across the central section. Internally, the principal room was the main assembly hall with a seating capacity for 200 people. ^[7]

The building continued to serve as the offices and meeting place of the burgh council for much of the 20th century, but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council was formed in 1975. ^{[8] [2]} The building subsequently served as a community events venue as well as the home of the local public library. ^[9] A small heritage museum was also established in the entrance foyer of the building: ^[10] items collected included artefacts associated with the locally-born physician, Sir Alexander Fleming, and artefacts associated with the local lace-making industry. ^[11]

Since 2002, the building has also been the main venue for the Darvel Music Festival, which is organised annually by Neil McKenna, and his wife Shelia. ^[12]

See also

• List of listed buildings in Darvel, East Ayrshire

References

1. Historic Environment Scotland. "Town Hall And Library, 10-12 West Main Street, Darvel (LB24493)" . Retrieved 30 July 2022.
2. "Darvel Burgh". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
3. "Ordnance Survey Map". 1888.
4. "Darvel Town Hall". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
5. Close, Rob; Riches, Anne (2012). Ayrshire & Arran (Buildings of Scotland Series). Yale University Press. p. 287. ISBN   978-0300141702.
6. Tolbooths and Town-houses Civic Architecture in Scotland to 1833. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. 1996. p. 158. ISBN   978-0114957995.
7. "Darvel Town Hall". East Ayrshire Leisure. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
8. "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
9. Scottish Library and Information Resources. Vol. 17. Scottish Library Association. 2005. p. 28.
10. "Darvel and District Community Action Plan 2014–2019: Update" (PDF). East Ayrshire Council. 1 February 2020. p. 6. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
11. "Darvel". Ayrshire and Arran Tourist Board. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
12. "Those were the days: Festival to celebrate 20 years of great music". Herald Scotland. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2022.