The Donald Thomas Centre, With Forecourt Railings

The Donald Thomas Centre, originally known as the Literary Institute, is a social centre located in Camborne. It was built in 1842 and enlarged in 1852, with some alterations made over the years. The building is constructed of granite ashlar and features a slate roof. It has a T-shaped layout, with a hall that runs at right angles to the street, flanked by smaller wings, and later extensions added to the rear.

Designed in the Greek Revival style, the centre is predominantly single storey, but the hall is notably taller and showcases a grand Doric portico, which is distyle in antis. This portico features a triglyph frieze and a mutule pediment, above a central doorway that has a simple pedimented surround. There are also two round-headed windows with moulded architraves and keystones, adorned with glazing that includes coloured margin panes.

The wings, which are positioned at right angles to the hall, each have clasping corner pilasters and a sashed window with a sill-band and shouldered architrave, with 4- and 12-paned designs respectively. They also feature an entablature with simplified triglyphs and guttae, and their gable walls are pedimented, complete with a triglyph frieze. The forecourt is enclosed by simple spear railings, which include wrought-iron gates.

At the rear of the right-hand (north) wing, there is a former lecture hall that was added in 1852. This section is stuccoed and has vermiculated quoins and surrounds for its openings, a tripartite window in the first portion, and a round-headed doorway with a shallow porch, flanked by tall round-headed windows positioned high up. The interior of the building has been altered over time.

Historically, the Camborne Literary Institute was founded in 1829, and this building was constructed on a site given by Richard Vivyan, which was previously occupied by the first Methodist chapel in Camborne.