Beith Library, 35-45 Main Street, Beith

The Beith Library, located at 35-45 Main Street, Beith, is a late 18th-century building that was restored and converted for library use in 1985. The building consists of two blocks, each originally three bays wide, and now presents a two-storey facade with pilastered detailing to the left, supporting an entablature. A central doorway is flanked by five bays. The facade has regular window placement, with raised and painted margins. A partial wallhead gable incorporates a first-floor and attic window. The base course is visible, as is a corniced string course separating the ground and first floors on the left side, and a moulded eaves course. The exterior is stucco and painted.

The rear (northwest) elevation has been rebuilt and features two storeys and a basement, arranged over three bays. The elevation is staggered, with tall, angled windows to the right and a gabled stair tower on the outer left.

The windows on the Main Street elevation are timber sash and case windows with 12 panes. The roof is covered with grey slate, and features straight stone skews with beaked skewputts, along with rebuilt brick gable stacks. Cast-iron rainwater goods are present.

The interior is now an open-plan library space.

The Main Street retains its mid-18th century streetscape, with the buildings following the road’s curve and maintaining Georgian proportions and traditional materials that contribute to the overall character of the area. The building was converted into a library in 1985, replacing a structure that was in derelict condition according to a photograph from 1978. Initial plans to demolish and replace the building were rejected, preserving the facade and gable, with the new library constructed behind. Originally two separate buildings, the left-hand bays originally included a doorway and two enlarged shop windows, while the right-hand side had three central doors flanked by larger shop windows. The original shopfronts have been largely preserved, particularly on the right side. A 1978 photograph also shows a central ridge stack between the two original blocks, and two later dormers which have since been removed. The building is marked on the 1858 Ordnance Survey map.