Employment Exchange, 139 Irish Street, Dumfries

The Employment Exchange, located at 139 Irish Street in Dumfries, is a late 18th to early 19th century town house featuring classical details. It stands three storeys tall with a basement and has three bays, with the inner bay being advanced and topped with a pediment. The mid-19th century outer bays are shallow and recessed, and one storey lower. The building is constructed of painted droved ashlar, with ground floor architraves, margins, and rusticated quoins. There are steps leading to a central porch, dating from around 1840, which has square monolithic columns and a bracketed entablature, with original consoled doorways underneath. The quoins are positioned between the base course and the third floor cill band, and the third floor features angle margins and square windows. The building has an eaves course, a decorative cornice, end stacks, and a slate roof.

Inside, there is an Ionic-pilastered basket arch in the hall, along with delicate turned balusters, cut strings, and decorative brackets. The decorative cornice plasterwork is present, although some is concealed by suspended ceilings.