Description

George Washington Browne, 1901-4. 2-storey and basement shallow H-plan English Renaissance town hall and former library on sloping site with later addition. Grey ashlar with vermiculated rustication to raised and battered basement. Diocletian windows with keystones. Domed lantern, pair of clock towers. Eaves cornice and parapet with some balustrading. N & S elevations predominantly mirrored. Apsidal hall to W elevation.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: to left, 5-light single storey and basement bowed window with balustraded parapet with engaged splayed flight of steps to right leading to timber 2-leaf entrance door in 3-bay section. To right, advanced section with Bo'ness coat of arms between ground and 1st floor. Far right part-obscured by modern yellow sandstone single storey and basement addition.

Octagonal copper domed lantern at junction with apse. Delicate pair of Adam-style small-domed clock towers to N and S elevations mark division of functions.

Timber windows, including predominantly 12 and 16-pane sash and case to ground floor with horns. Grey slates.

INTERIOR: columned entrance hall with black and white marble tiled floor with brass plaque, 'TOWN HALL PROVIDED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OUT OF THE HARBOUR TRANSFER FUND CARNEGIE LIBRARY THE GIFT OF ANDREW CARNEGIE LLD OF SKIBO CASTLE SUTHERLANDSHIRE AND OF NEW YORK CITY VSA CLOCK AND TOWER THE GIFT OF GEORGE CADELL STEWART PROVOST OF THE BURGH 1894-1904 CHIME OF FIVE BELLS THE GIFT OF JAMES CHARLES CALDER TOWN COUNCILLOR 1900-1908'. Former library, pair of timber corniced screens with upper panels glazed with small leaded panes. Above, large function room with ceiling with wide undercut plaster circular wreath. Large hall with stage, galleried on 3 sides supported by cast-iron columns. Painted trompe l'oeil decoration with ship above stage with motto, 'SINE METU'.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: to N, squared and snecked bull-faced sandstone with flat coping. To W, high rubble wall. To SE, pair of simple square gatepiers with squared and snecked bull-faced wall to E.

Statement of Interest

A large and imposing classical building on an elevated site overlooking the town centre. Andrew Carnegie gave £5000 to the cost of this £10000 building and it was opened by his representative, Hew Morrison, on 14th September 1904. The tower clocks were made by H & R Millar of Edinburgh and are similar to those at Robert Adam's Register House in Edinburgh. Local Bo'ness firms were involved in the construction: joiner and carpentry work by the Duguids, slating by Kilpatrick and painted decoration by Grant. An important part of the social history of Bo'ness.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Bo'ness, Stewart Avenue, Town Hall And Carnegie Library at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17816211

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)