Knox Institute, 23 Main Street, Kilbirnie

The Knox Institute, at 23 Main Street, Kilbirnie, is a 3-storey building dating from 1892. It occupies a corner location with a street frontage of 4 bays to the west and 5 bays to the north, plus an angle bay. The building is constructed of stugged ashlar stone with polished dressings. A doorway is set within the angle, above which is a round-headed aedicular window. A corbelled angle turret rises at the second floor, featuring three narrow, pilastered round-headed windows, a panelled drum, and a parapet above. Narrow pilaster strips connect the ground floor openings. The north elevation has two doorways and two large shop windows, the doorway to the left featuring a fanlight. A continuous cornice runs above the ground floor. The first floor features an off-centre Venetian window flanked by round-headed aedicular windows, with a round-headed window with an apron panel to the left. Panelled pilasters flank the end and angle bays, supporting a frieze and dentilled cornice on both the first and second floors. The second floor has a galleried design with broad, round-headed, pilastered windows, and a small round-headed window to the outer bay, topped by a balustraded parapet. The elevation onto Main Street is similarly detailed, with two large shop windows on the ground floor, two Venetian windows on the first floor, and two pairs of broad, round-headed windows on the second floor, all below a parapet. The roof is piended, covered with slate, and features end stacks.