Burgh Chambers, 15 Seaview Place, Bo'Ness

Burgh Chambers is a late 19th-century bank, municipal building, and hotel, situated within an irregular terrace at 15 Seaview Place, Bo’ness. It was designed by John Melvin and Sons in 1877, with subsequent alterations in 1903-4 by James Thomson (basement and ground floor) and in 1907 (wing heightening). Further alterations in 1923 were possibly undertaken by John A W Lamb.

The building is two storeys high with a basement and comprises five bays. It is constructed of painted ashlar and roughly coursed rubble, with ashlar margins and quoin strips. A raised base course, deep frieze, and eaves cornice define the exterior.

The principal, north-west elevation is symmetrical at ground level. The basement has blocked openings. A ramp with ironwork balusters provides access from both sides to the central bay, which contains a keystoned round-headed door within a corniced, pilastered doorpiece. The door is panelled timber with a semicircular plate glass fanlight above. The flanking bays have windows, those to the right possibly altered above the cornice level. Above the ground floor, three windows are positioned to the left of centre, each with a stone pediment breaking the eaves. To the right are two single-storey bays, dominated by a wallhead stack and a steeply-pitched piended roof.

The north-east elevation is asymmetrically-fenestrated, with windows grouped to the centre and left, and is characterised by two wallhead stacks.

Upper sashes feature a 12-pane glazing pattern over plate glass lower sashes in timber sash and case windows to the north-east; plate glass glazing is found elsewhere. The roof is covered in grey slates, and banded, coped ashlar stacks with square cans are prominent. The stack on the north-west has decorative detailing, possibly remnants of a balustrade. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers are also present.

The interior is noted for its decorative plasterwork cornices, architraved doors, dado rails, and panelled timber shutters. The single-storey wing contains two rooms with an altered opening between them, revealing concave-bowed walls at the centre, flanked by broad doors with pilasters, carved friezes, and cornices. One front room features a fine plasterwork frieze depicting medallions of animals and trades, while the rear room contains a walk-in safe. A timber dog-leg staircase, with decorative cast-iron balusters and a timber handrail, serves the upper floors. A smaller timber-balustered stair leads to the attic. The basement, possibly of earlier origin, includes a stone staircase with panelled walls, a timber handrail, some decorative plasterwork, a moulded fire surround with a border-carved overmantel, and stone urinals.

A brick boundary wall runs along the rear of the property. A coped, square-section ashlar gatepier marks the boundary.